Champions League: Newcastle Host Barcelona in a Potential Barnburner

Newcastle United vs Barcelona

Newcastle United will open their 2025-26 Champions League campaign in a potentially mouthwatering contest against Barcelona at St. James’ Park on Thursday night, and this fixture will evoke some old memories.

The hosts started their season on a lacklustre note with two draws and one loss. However, Eddie Howe’s men are back on track after winning 1-0 against the Wolves last time out. Newcastle United are in for a busy stretch. After the Barcelona game, Eddie Howe’s men will visit Bournemouth on Sunday and host Bradford City next Wednesday in the EFL Cup third round.

In contrast, Barcelona came out hot out of the gates. With three wins and one draw, the Blaugrana are second in the La Liga standings. After this game, Hansi Flick’s side has two winnable league matches against Getafe and Oviedo.

 

Talking Points

Woltemade left a good first impression with Newcastle United

Newcastle United fans momentarily forgot the bitter taste in their mouths following Alexander Isak’s transfer to Liverpool, as Nick Woltemade stepped onto the St. James’ Park turf for the first time against the Wolves. After scoring 17 goals for VfB Stuttgart last term, Woltemade opened his Magpies account right away with a superb header in the first half to clinch a 1-0 home win, ending the club’s three-game drought. The German striker is expected to lead up front against Barcelona.

Anthony Gordon is currently serving a domestic suspension, but he should be available this Thursday because it doesn’t apply in Europe. The 24-year-old winger will likely replace Harvey Barnes on the left wing, while Jacob Murphy and Anthony Elanga will fight for a place on the right wing. Summer signings Jacob Ramsey and Yoane Wissa aren’t available for Newcastle United, as they continue to recover from their leg injuries. 

Head coach Eddie Howe will also have to think about what his back four would look like against the Blaugrana. So far, Howe has deployed the centre partnership of Fabian Schar and Dan Burn, with Tino Livramento and Kieran Trippier on the sides. If Howe wants to mix it up, he has Sven Botman, Malick Thiaw, and Lewis Miley as backups.

 

Yamal doubtful for Barcelona

There could be lineup changes on the horizon for Barcelona, as head coach Hansi Flick might be forced to rotate his squad due to their busy schedule and injuries. Lamine Yamal (groin) and Frenkie de Jong (muscle) are major doubts against Newcastle United, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen (back), Gavi (knee), and Alex Balde (hamstring) all remain in the treatment room. Marcus Rashford and Marc Casado could replace Yamal and de Jong.

Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha came off the bench and bagged braces in the team’s 6-0 rout of Valencia, so they are likely to start against Newcastle United. Lewandowski has nine goals in his last seven league phase appearances, while Raphinha was the joint-top scorer in last season’s Champions League with 13 goals and nine assists.

 

History

Thursday marks the fifth competitive meeting between Newcastle United and Barcelona. The Magpies won 3-2 in the first clash in September 1997, before losing each of their next three against their La Liga counterparts. The last time these two teams met in the Champions League was in the 2002-03 edition, where Barcelona won 3-1 on Matchday 8 and 2-0 on Matchday 12, with Patrick Kluivert and Thiago Motta scoring in those contests.

Barcelona have won 12 of their last 16 Champions League matches against English sides (D2, L2), averaging 2.1 goals per game during that run. 

Meanwhile, Newcastle United have won six of their last 11 European games against Spanish opposition (L5). The Magpies have won only one of their last eight Champions League games (D3, L4), a 4-1 home victory against PSG during the 2023-24 group stage.

 

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP Champions League 2025 odds expect a tight contest between Newcastle United and Barcelona. Because they’re in better recent form, Barcelona have the slight edge at 2.38, while Newcastle United are right behind them at 2.53, and a draw is at 3.48 in the 1X2 market.

Football fans at St. James’ Park should get their fair share of Champions League 2025 highlights from this contest due to the collective firepower between the Magpies and the Blaugrana. Besides our recommended bet, bettors can also add Over 3.25 at 1.98, Over 3.50 at 2.17, and even Total Goal 4-6 at 2.43 to the parlay. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 2-0 in favour of Barcelona – the result of their previous European encounter – offers a robust payday of 16.00.

   

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