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After a two-decade absence, the Magpies re-acquainted themselves with UEFA’s most prestigious club competition during the 2023/24 campaign. Drawn into a ‘group of death’ alongside Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, and AC Milan, they unsurprisingly failed to progress to the knockout stages. Having acquired a major trophy and made serious improvements to his playing staff in the intervening period, Eddie Howe will head into Europe with far more confidence this time around.
Nevertheless, Newcastle have endured an underwhelming start to the new campaign. Goalless draws at Villa Park and Elland Road came either side of a heartbreaking defeat to Liverpool, which saw the hosts equalise late on through Danish centre-forward William Osula before conceding in the tenth minute of added time.
Barcelona remain undefeated after registering two wins and one draw in their opening three domestic outings, as the defending champions seek to attain their 29th La Liga crown. A comfortable triumph over nine-man Real Mallorca was followed up by a resolute performance at the Estadi Ciutat de València, as the visitors came back from a two-goal deficit to edge past Levante. Barça’s 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano ensured they entered the international break in fourth position, within touching distance of early pace-setters Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.
Hansi Flick’s men will be hoping to put last season’s cruel Champions League exit firmly behind them, with a victory at St. James Park seen as the perfect way to launch their new continental campaign.
TNT Sports will provide exclusive TV coverage of Thursday’s tie, while discovery+ app users can stream the action on any compatible electronic device. The match is scheduled to kick off at 20:00 (BST).
Newcastle United v Barcelona: Key information
Date: Thursday, 18th September
Kick-off time: 20:00 (BST)
Venue: St. James Park
Referee: TBC
VAR: TBC
TV Channels: TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate
Live stream: discovery+ app
Odds: Newcastle United: 2/1, Draw: 27/10, Barcelona: 23/20
Newcastle United vs. Barcelona team news
Due to circumstances outside their control, both managers were forced to make some personnel changes on the final weekend of domestic action ahead of the international break. Although Eddie Howe now has a full squad at his disposal, the same cannot be said for Hansi Flick…..
Newcastle United team news
Although midfield duo Sandro Tonali and Joelinton sustained knocks during Newcastle’s blockbuster clash with Liverpool last month, both seem to have now made a full recovery. Tonali survived the full 90 plus minutes at Elland Road, while his Brazilian teammate is expected to line up against Wolves at the weekend. Summer arrival Jacob Ramsey is also no longer on the treatment table, after he incurred an ankle injury on his full debut for the Magpies.
Anthony Gordon may be unavailable for domestic duty following his rash tackle on Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, but his three-match suspension evades European competition. Therefore, Howe has a difficult decision to make at the top end of the pitch, with club record signing Nick Woltemade – who landed on Tyneside last month after agreeing a £69m switch from Bundesliga outfit VfB Stuttgart – also ready for action. However, fellow recent arrival Yoane Wissa won’t be involved, having picked up a concerning knee injury during the international break.
Howe has stuck with the same defensive quartet throughout the season’s opening exchanges, although drafted Sven Botman into a back five for the trip to West Yorkshire. However, it’s likely the former Bournemouth boss will adopt his usual 4-3-3 formation on Thursday evening.
Newcastle United predicted line-up vs. Barcelona (4-3-3)
Coach: Eddie Howe
Nick Pope (GK), Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schär, Dan Burn, Tino Livramento, Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali, Joelinton,
Anthony Elanga, Nick Woltemade, Anthony Gordon
Barcelona team news
Barcelona’s squad has been somewhat decimated in recent weeks, with a handful of key players sidelined through injury.
Marc-André ter Stegen remains out after undergoing surgery on his lower back midway through the summer, leaving new recruit Joan García to continue between the sticks. In a bizarre turn of events, the experienced German stopper was stripped of the club captaincy having initially refused to share his medical details with La Liga in the wake of his treatment. A day later, ter Stegen signed the necessary paperwork and was subsequently reinstated as Barça skipper.
There are fresh concerns regarding the condition of Gavi’s right knee, a year after completing his rehabilitation from an anterior cruciate ligament tear in the same location. A second round of surgery may now be required, casting doubt on the technically gifted midfielder’s medium-term availability. Fellow midfielder Marc Bernal is now back in full training, having also spent a significant time out following a harrowing ACL injury. Alejandro Balde is another La Masia graduate absentee, although the Catalan full-back should return within the next month.
There’s a question mark over Frenkie de Jong’s fitness after Ronald Koeman confirmed he was suffering from a ‘tight glute’ during the latter stages of the Netherlands 1-1 draw with Poland. Barcelona will conduct tests to determine the severity of the injury, although it’s hoped the Dutch maestro won’t be missing for too long.
Although he’s only made two substitute appearances for Barcelona this term, Robert Lewandowski started both of his country’s World Cup qualifiers over the past week. The prolific marksman registered his 86th international goal in Poland’s 3-1 victory over Finland, despite still feeling the effects of a mild hamstring injury. Having seen in-form Ferran Torres net twice as a makeshift centre-forward, Hansi Flick may be reluctant to ask a half-fit Lewandowski to lead the line.
Marcus Rashford has struggled to find his stride since moving to Catalonia, assuming just a bit-part role in each of Barcelona’s first three La Liga meetings. The Englishman was hooked at half-time during the trip to Levante despite the visitors’ urgent need for a goal, and subsequently watched from the sidelines as his teammates recovered from 2-0 down to secure all three points. Although he’s unlikely to feature in Flick’s starting line-up on Thursday night, Rashford could make a telling impact from the bench.
Barcelona predicted line-up vs. Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Hansi Flick
Joan García (GK), Eric García, Ronald Araújo, Pau Cubarsí, Gerard Martín, Pedri, Marc Casadó, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo,
Raphinha, Ferran Torres
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
Having brokered a deal to televise a staggering 533 UEFA Club Competition matches for three consecutive seasons, TNT Sports is the UK’s number one provider of elite European action. All but 17 of this season’s Champions League fixtures will be shown on the network, with Amazon broadcasting the remainder.
Depending on their subscription plan, viewers can watch events at St. James’ Park unfold on either TNT Sports 1/TNT Sports Ultimate or the discovery+ app. Programming across all platforms commences at 19:00, with a full match replay available on the discovery+ app following the full-time whistle.
Head-to-Head record
Thursday’s opponents have met on four previous occasions, with Barcelona emerging victorious in each of the last three ties.
The first encounter between these two sides came almost two decades ago, as Newcastle and Barcelona clashed in Champions League Group C during the 1997/98 campaign. After clinching a 3-2 win on home soil thanks to a Faustino Asprilla hat-trick, the Magpies were narrowly defeated at the Camp Nou. Neither outfit progressed to the knockout stages, with Dynamo Kyiv and PSV Eindhoven securing the two qualification spots.
Having been drawn into the same Champions League pool for the second time in six seasons, further contests occurred in December 2002 and March 2003. Patrick Kluivert and Thiago Motta netted in both meetings as the Blaugrana recorded comfortable victories in both home and away fixtures, as Newcastle ran out of steam in the competition’s second group stage.
Odds for Newcastle United vs. Barcelona
Five-time Champions League winners Barcelona are understandably considered favourites for Thursday’s tie, but the Catalans are in for a testing evening at what is sure to be a raucous St. James Park. Newcastle United hammered the mighty Paris Saint-Germain on home soil during their last appearance in this competition, so they certainly won’t be fazed by the visit of another European giant. Having slapped relatively high odds of 23/20 on an away triumph, bet365 are evidently aware of the Magpies’ capacity to cause an upset…..
Moneyline odds
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.