WHO: Newcastle United-Barcelona
That: Champions League round of 16, first leg
Where: St James’ Park, Newcastle, England
When: Tuesday, March 10 at 8:00 p.m. (8:00 p.m. GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT ahead of our live text commentary broadcast.
Newcastle United will make just their second appearance in the last 16 of the Champions League when the La Liga leaders arrive on Tyneside for a highly anticipated first leg clash.
Recommended stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
For the first time since 2002-03, when they reached the second group stage, Newcastle are one of 16 clubs remaining in a Champions League campaign.
But having beaten Azerbaijan’s Qarabag in the playoff round, Newcastle – currently languishing in 12th place in the Premier League – will have to take a significant step up in class to surprise Hansi Flick’s star-studded Barcelona.
The Catalan club comes into the game on the back of a hard-fought victory over Athletic Bilbao at the weekend that restored their four-point lead at the top of La Liga.
“It’s a huge game in our history”
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has challenged his team to produce the performance of a lifetime as they aim to win one of the biggest games in the club’s history against Barcelona on Tuesday.
“We’ve never been in this position before in the Champions League, and it’s the best competition there is, so for obvious reasons it’s a huge game in our history,” Howe said.
“We need to approach it that way and we need the fans to think that way.”
Newcastle beat Barça 3-2 thanks to a hat-trick from Faustino Asprilla in the first meeting between the clubs in the Champions League in 1997.
That was the peak of the Magpies’ brief period as Premier League entertainers.
Decades of stagnation followed, reducing the club to laughingstock status under unpopular former owner Mike Ashley. Those dark days included two relegations to the second division in 2009 and 2016.
Long hungry for success, Newcastle has enjoyed a welcome revival since its Saudi owners took over in 2021.
Last season, Newcastle ended a 56-year trophy drought by beating Liverpool in the League Cup final.
Now they hope to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the first time.
“We need to try to find some energy”
Beating the five-time European champions would be a huge moment in Newcastle’s history, especially as their progress has been in danger of stalling this season.
Newcastle are in the bottom half of the Premier League and were knocked out of the FA Cup fifth round by Manchester City on Saturday.
Saturday’s game was Newcastle’s 47th of the season and 19th in 63 days, a grueling schedule that has taken its toll on a team depleted by injuries.
Howe will look to form a new line-up against Barcelona, having rested Dan Burn, Joelinton and Anthony Gordon for the clash against Manchester City.
“I don’t think we have the strength right now to make many changes and maintain the same strength in our performance,” Howe admitted.
“We need to try to find some energy from somewhere that will elevate our performance to a level we haven’t seen before this season because I think that’s the only way to get ahead.”
Yamal ‘is only going to get better’
Having beaten Newcastle 2-1 at St James’ Park in the league stage thanks to a brace from Marcus Rashford and without teenage star Lamine Yamal, Barcelona will head to Tyneside with confidence.
Yamal made the difference in La Liga’s victory over the weekend, slotting the ball into the top corner after 68 minutes to split the teams at Athletic’s San Mamés stadium.
“We’re already seeing what Lamine can do: he puts it right into the top corner and the goalkeeper can’t do anything,” Barça midfielder Pedri told Movistar.
“He’s very young and he’s only going to get better.
“What you have to do is not settle, keep going like this, keep working and enjoying yourself on the field, because it gives us a lot.”
Flick takes the positives from Athletic’s complicated victory
Barça coach Hansi Flick rotated his team, with Tuesday’s visit to face Newcastle in the Champions League round of 16.
As a result, his team had a disjointed first half, creating little and looking far from their best level.
“Everyone was fighting, defending as a unit, and we kept a clean sheet again, and that’s really important,” Flick told reporters, focusing on the positives.
“One game less and three more points, it’s a perfect situation.”
What happened the last time the parties met?
Rashford scored his first goals for Barcelona when the England striker’s brilliant brace inspired a 2-1 victory over Newcastle in the Champions League in September.
He scored twice in nine second-half minutes at St James’ Park to make a memorable return to England following his loan from Manchester United in July.
Anthony Gordon pulled one back for Newcastle in the closing stages but it was too late to salvage a point in their opening Champions League group game.
Face to face
The two clubs have met five times, all in the Champions League. Although the Magpies won the first meeting in 1997, they lost the next four games.
- September 18, 2025: Newcastle United 1-2 Barcelona (Champions League league stage)
- March 19, 2003: Newcastle United 0-2 Barcelona (Champions League group stage)
- December 11, 2002: Barcelona 3-1 Newcastle United (Champions League group stage)
- November 26, 1997: Barcelona 1-0 Newcastle United (Champions League group stage)
- September 17, 1997: Newcastle United 3-2 Barcelona (Champions League group stage)
Newcastle team news
Emil Krafth, Lewis Miley, Fabian Schar and key midfielder Bruno Guimaraes will miss the match due to injuries.
However, this week Howe has been able to welcome players such as Nick Woltemade, Sandro Tonali and Tino Livramento back from injury or illness.
Expected starting eleven:
Pope (goalkeeper); Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Willock, Tonali, Joelinton; Barnes, Wissa, Gordon
Barcelona team news
Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde, Alejandro Balde and Andreas Christensen have been ruled out with injuries, while Gavi is unlikely to feature as he continues to work towards full fitness after a knee problem that has kept him out since August.
Expected starting eleven:
Joan García (goalkeeper); Eric García, Cubarsi, Martín, Cancelo; Pedri, Married; Yamal, López, Raphinha; Lewandowski
