Who: Newcastle United vs Barcelona
Contents: Champions League last 16, first leg
Location: St James’s Park, Newcastle, England
Date and time: Tuesday, March 10th, 8pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: Get everything ready on Al Jazeera Sports from 17:00 GMT ahead of the live text commentary stream.
Newcastle United will be making their second appearance in the Champions League last 16 as the La Liga leaders arrive on Tyneside for the much-anticipated first-leg clash.
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Newcastle are one of 16 clubs remaining in the Champions League for the first time since reaching the second group stage in the 2002-03 season.
However, Newcastle, who comfortably defeated Azerbaijan’s lowly Qarabagh in the play-off round, are currently languishing in 12th place in the Premier League, but will need to make a big move up if they are to overwhelm Hansi Flick’s star-studded Barcelona team.
The Catalan club went into the game having regained a four-point lead at the top of La Liga after a hard-fought victory over Athletic Bilbao over the weekend.
“This is a huge game in our history.”
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe challenged his side to produce the performance of a lifetime as they look to win one of the club’s biggest games in their history against Barcelona on Tuesday.
“We’ve never been in this position in the Champions League before and this is the best competition, so for obvious reasons this is a huge game in our history,” Howe said.
“We need to approach it that way and our supporters need to think that way.”
Newcastle famously defeated Barça 3-2 in the club’s first Champions League competition in 1997, thanks to a hat-trick from Faustino Asprilla.
It was the peak of the Magpies’ brief spell as the Premier League’s great entertainers.
Decades of decline followed, with the club becoming a laughing stock under unpopular former owner Mike Ashley. That dark period included two relegations to the second division, in 2009 and 2016.
Newcastle, long starved for success, have enjoyed a welcome resurgence since Saudi Arabian ownership took over in 2021.
Last season, Newcastle defeated Liverpool in the League Cup final, ending a 56-year trophy drought.
They are now aiming to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time.
“We need to find the energy.”
Beating the five-time European champions would be a big moment in Newcastle’s history, especially as their progress this season is in danger of stalling.
Newcastle sit at the bottom of the Premier League and were eliminated by Manchester City in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday.
Saturday’s match was Newcastle’s 47th game of the season and 19th in 63 days, a tough schedule that dealt a huge blow to a team plagued by injuries.
Howe will rest Dan Byrne, Joelinton and Anthony Gordon against Manchester City, and will assemble a new line-up against Barcelona.
“At the moment I don’t think we have the strength to make many changes and maintain the same performance,” Howe admitted.
“We’ve got to find the energy from somewhere to perform to a level we’ve never seen before this season, because I think that’s the only way we’re going to get through.”
Yamal: “It’s only going to get better.”
Barcelona will head to Tyneside with confidence having already beaten Newcastle 2-1 at St James’ Park in the league, thanks to Marcus Rashford’s brace and the absence of teenage star Lamine Yamal.
Yamal made a difference in last weekend’s La Liga victory, curling the ball into the top corner to split the sides in the 68th minute at Athletic’s San Mamés Stadium.
Barça midfielder Pedri told Movistar: “We already know what Lamine can do. He puts the ball in the top corner of the goal, but there’s nothing the keeper can do.”
“He’s very young and he’s only going to get better.
“What he has to do is not settle down, just keep going, keep working and keep having fun on the pitch, because he gives us a lot.”
Flick views Athletic’s tricky win as positive
Barça manager Hansi Flick has rotated his squad, with Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 clash with Newcastle looming.
As a result, his team played disorganized in the first half, achieving little and looking far from free-flowing.
Flick told reporters, focusing on the positives: “Everyone fought and defended as one, and we got another clean sheet, which is really important.”
“One less game, three points more, it’s a perfect situation.”
What happened the last time the two met?
Rashford scored his first goal for Barcelona with the England forward’s superb brace in a 2-1 win over Newcastle in the Champions League in September.
He scored twice in nine second-half minutes at St James’ Park, marking a memorable return to England after being loaned from Manchester United in July.
Anthony Gordon pulled one back for Newcastle late on, but it was too late to regain a point in their opening Champions League group stage game.
direct confrontation
The two clubs have met five times so far, all in the Champions League. The Magpies won the first meeting in 1997, but 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) 17 September 1997: Newcastle United 3-2 Barcelona (Champions League Group Stage)
newcastle team news
Emil Craft, Lewis Miley, Fabian Schaal and key midfielder Bruno Guimarães are all absent due to injury.
But this week, Howe was able to bring back the likes of Nick Waltemaide, Sandro Tonali and Tino Livramento from injury and illness.
Expected starting lineup:
Pope (goalkeeper). Trippier, Thiau, Botman, Hall. Willock, Tonali, Joelinton. Burns, Wissa, Gordon
barcelona team news
Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde, Alejandro Balde and Andreas Christensen are all ruled out due to injury, but Gabi is unlikely to feature as he has been sidelined since August with a knee problem and continues to work towards full fitness.
Expected starting lineup:
Joao Garcia (goalkeeper); Eric Garcia, Kvarsi, Martin, Cancelo. Pedri, Casado. Yamal, López, Rafinha. lewandowski
