Later tonight Newcastle will go toe to toe against spanish side Barcelona in what will be the fifth competitive meeting between the two sides. The Magpies won the first ever clash 3-2 in September 1997, before losing each of their next three against their Spanish opponents.
Newcastle has faced Spanish opposition 11 times in major European competitions and has managed six wins from those matches with 5 losses, including each of their last three in succession.
They have won just one of their last eight UEFA Champions League games, a 4-1 home win against Paris Saint-Germain during the 2023-24 group stage, losing four and drawing three.
Meanwhile, Barcelona have won 12 of their last 16 UEFA Champions League games against English opposition, scoring 2.1 goals per game on average during that run. They were however, defeated in their last away UEFA Champions League game on English soil (4-0 v Liverpool) and have only lost consecutive such matches on one occasion previously.
Possible Team lineups
Wissa and Ramsey will both miss the opener for the Magpies due to injuries. Notwithstanding, they will likely maintain their line up from their last outing.
Meanwhile, Barcelona will likely maintain the squad from their 6-0 home over Valencia but will miss Lamine Yamal, Ter Stegen, Balde and Gavi due to injuries.
Barca will go into this game with high spirits following their stunning 6-0 victory over Valencia and hope to extend their run past last years’ in the competition. They have been overwhelmed in the first month of this season but have managed to regain control through the Valencia saga.
The Newcastle fixture promises to be a true test of Flick’s side’s strength as Valencia played poorly. Eddie Howe’s side has everything needed to cause an upset for the Catalans but the true battle will be in the midfield against trio Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton.
This will be as tough as it gets for both sides and we will learn more after the game.
