Newcastle United will host Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday, March 10, at 8:00 PM GMT at St James' Park in Newcastle, England. This match marks only Newcastle's second appearance in the Champions League knockout stages since the 2002-03 season, when they reached the second group phase. However, Newcastle, currently languishing in 12th place in the Premier League and recently knocked out of the FA Cup, face a daunting challenge against La Liga leaders and five-time European champions Barcelona.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has challenged his side to produce a historic performance, stating, "We've never been in this position in the Champions League before, and it's the best competition there is, so for obvious reasons it's a massive game in our history." Newcastle famously defeated Barcelona 3-2 thanks to a Faustino Asprilla hat-trick in their first Champions League meeting in 1997, but have lost all four subsequent encounters. The club endured decades of decline under former owner Mike Ashley, including two relegations to the Championship in 2009 and 2016, but has experienced a revival since Saudi owners took over in 2021, ending a 56-year trophy drought by winning the League Cup last season.
Newcastle are grappling with injuries and fatigue, having played 47 matches this season, including 19 in the last 63 days. Howe will attempt to field a refreshed lineup against Barcelona, having rested players like Dan Burn, Joelinton, and Anthony Gordon, but conceded, "I don't think we've got the strength at the moment to make loads of changes and keep the same strength in our performance." Key absentees for Newcastle include Emil Krafth, Lewis Miley, Fabian Schar, and Bruno Guimaraes due to injuries, though Nick Woltemade, Sandro Tonali, and Tino Livramento have returned to the squad.
Barcelona enter the match on the back of a hard-fought win over Athletic Bilbao in La Liga, restoring their four-point lead at the top of the table. Teenage star Lamine Yamal scored the decisive goal in that match, showcasing his growing influence. Barcelona midfielder Pedri remarked, "We're already seeing what Lamine can do – he puts it right in the top corner, and there's nothing the keeper can do." Coach Hansi Flick rotated his squad in preparation for the Newcastle clash, leading to a disjointed first-half display, but he focused on the positives: "Everyone was fighting, defending as a unit, and we have a clean sheet again, and that's really important."
Predicted starting lineups have been announced for both teams: for Newcastle – Pope (goalkeeper); Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Willock, Tonali, Joelinton; Barnes, Wissa, Gordon. For Barcelona – Joan Garcia (goalkeeper); Eric Garcia, Cubarsi, Martin, Cancelo; Pedri, Casado; Yamal, Lopez, Raphinha; Lewandowski. Barcelona will be without Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde, Alejandro Balde, and Andreas Christensen due to injuries, while Gavi is unlikely to feature as he recovers from a knee issue. The match will be broadcast live on Al Jazeera Sport.
Source: www.aljazeera.com