Newcastle United and Barcelona are playing their match for the 1st round of the Champions League League Phase, at St James’ Park, home of Newcastle United.
Facts
- Four past meetings: three wins for Barcelona, one win for Newcastle United.
- Barcelona’s last five Champions League matches all finished with over 3.5 goals scored.
Betting Tip: Newcastle United - Barcelona
This is a tricky assignment for Barcelona. Newcastle is a well-drilled unit competing in arguably Europe’s toughest league. But in terms of stature and experience, some people believe they still remain a level below tonight’s opponent.
Newcastle also looked short of being fully ready; against Liverpool (2-3), they showed some fight, but the game was dictated by the Reds. The same logic applies here: the outcome depends more on Barca’s performance than Newcastle’s.
Finding Barcelona to win at odds of 2.30 doesn’t come around often, and it's probably because of Yamal's absence, but it could be worth taking the risk.
- Recommendation: Barcelona win
- Odds: 2.30 (at the time of writing)
Newcastle United
Last season was a dream for the Magpies: Champions League qualification via the Premier League, and their first trophy in 70 years after lifting the League Cup. In the final, they beat Liverpool 2-1 thanks to goals from Burn (45’) and Isak (52’).
But the joy of that night came with a price, as Isak is no longer at the club. He was sold to Liverpool for €145m, the biggest transfer fee in Premier League history. Another notable departure was Sean Longstaff (central midfield, Leeds).
The club responded with heavy investment, spending over €280 million to reinforce the squad: Nick Woltemade (second striker, Stuttgart), Anthony Elanga (winger, Nottingham Forest), Yoane Wissa (centre forward, Brentford), Jacob Ramsey (central midfield, Aston Villa), and Malick Thiaw (centre back, Milan).
Howe remains at the helm, trusted to take this revamped team through Europe’s toughest stage.
Barcelona
Barcelona reclaimed the La Liga crown last season, dethroning Real Madrid. It was the perfect start for German coach Hansi Flick, who took charge last summer.
His team looked electric going forward, attacking and entertaining. But there was a tactical naivety: the high defensive line often left them exposed, a weakness brutally punished in the Champions League, where they were knocked out in the semi-finals by Inter.
This year, the objectives are clear: defend their domestic title and push all the way to the top in Europe. Transfer activity was limited, relying more on squad continuity. A key departure was Pau Victor (centre forward, Braga).
New arrivals include Marcus Rashford (winger, Manchester United), Joan García (goalkeeper, Espanyol), and Roony Bardghji (winger, FC Copenhagen).
Early performances suggest their attack will be just as explosive, but this trip to St James’ Park is the first real test of their defensive discipline.
