Key events
Tonight’s match officials
Some reader correspondence: “The visitors are legendary for being Mes Que Un Club,” writes Peter Oh. “The home side are desperate to prove that they are Mes Que Un Isak. And I just hope that this match turns out to be Mes Que Un Bore Draw.”
Eddie Howe: “When we were drawn against Barcelona, it had a magical feel to it,” said the Newcastle head coach. “I’m really excited to sample the atmosphere – I think it will be an incredible thing again. We will try to get a positive result and prepare the players for the game. I’m looking forward to how we match up against them and there is a lot of confidence restored after winning on Saturday.”
On Newcastle’s return to the Champions League: “The build-up is different to the Premier League and having done it before, that can help us again,” he said. “The squad is arguably stronger – it has changed from two years ago and I back the quality that we have. The early games are really important because they set the tone and that’s why we are really focusing on our performance to try and deliver a good one.”
Meanwhile in Manchester: Following a summer departure from Manchester City that he wasn’t massively enthused about, Kevin De Bruyne is back at the Etihad with vengeance – or at the very least a mild sense of disgruntlement – on his mind. Simon Burnton is monitoring the action in the game between City and Napoli …
Newcastle United v Barcelona line-ups
Newcastle United: Pope, Trippier, Schar, Burn, Livramento, Joelinton, Guimaraes, Tonali, Elanga, Gordon, Barnes
Substitutes: Thompson, Ramsdale, Hall, Botman, Thiaw, Krafth, Osula, J. Murphy, Woltemade, Willock, A. Murphy, Miley
Barcelona: J Garcia, Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Martin, Pedri, De Jong, Raphinha, Fermin Lopez, Rashford, Lewandowski
Substitutes: Ferran, Christensen, Casado, Olmo, Bernal, Eric, Szczesny, Jofre, Roony, Fernandez, Kochen
Nick Woltemade on the bench for Newcastle
Despite scoring on his debut against Wolves on Saturday, Newcastle’s gangly new striker has to settle for a place on the bench this evening, with Anthony Gordon preferred. As grand a match and occasion as this is for Newcastle, it could be argued that their upcoming game against Bournemouth, which Gordon can’t play in, is more important, so Howe may have one eye on that. Anthony Elanga also comes into the Newcastle side, with Jacob Murphy making way.
Newcastle’s league phase opposition: Barcelona (h), Union St Gilloise (a), Benfica (h), Athletic Club (h), Marseille (a), Bayer Leverkusen (a), PSV Eindhoven (h), Paris Saint-Germain (a).
Barcelona’s league phase opposition: Newcastle (a), Paris Saint-Germain (h), Olympiacos (h), Club Brugge (a), Chelsea (a), Eintracht Frankfurt (h), Slavia Prague (a), Copenhagen (h).
Newcastle United: Of a certain age? Want to feel really old? Well, get this – Faustino Asprilla will be among the luminaries in attendance at St James’ Park when Newcastle welcome Barcelona to Tyneside for only the second time since the Colombian striker helped put the Spanish giants to the sword with a hat-trick 28 years and one day ago. Yes, it was that long ago. Words: Louise Taylor.
Early team news
Yet to make his debut for Newcastle after signing from Brentford towards the end of the transfer window, Yoane Wissa has been ruled out of tonight’s match with injury and is expected to be out for several more weeks. The striker is suffering from a knee injury he suffered on international duty with DR Congo in a match against Senegal.
Midfielder Jacob Ramsey will also be forced to sit tonight’s match out, as he recovers from an ankle injury that forced him out of Newcastle’s scoreless Premier League draw with Leeds at half-time. The signing from Aston Villa is not expected to return to action until after the next international break. Although he is currently serving a domestic suspension, Anthony Gordon is eligible and available for selection tonight, although Eddie Howe was understandably reluctant to say whether the winger and occasional False 9 would start or come off the bench.
In excellent news for either Tino Livramento or Lewis Hall, Lamine Yamal is sidelined with a lower back problem. Ever the diplomat, Howe described the winger’s absence as “a shame”. Reports from Spain suggest the teenager played through the pain for Spain with the help of an injection in their World Cup qualifying win over Turkey, despite having asked to be stood down because he was in too much discomfort. Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Alejandro Balde and Gavi are also out, while there are doubts over the fitness of Frenkie De Jong, who has recovered from a groin issue. Marc Casado is expected to deputise if the Dutch midfielder doesn’t start.
Robert Lewandowski is a near certainty to start up front for Barca and will be hoping to add to the nine goals he has scored in his past seven appearances in the league phase of the Champions League. The Polish international scored two in Sunday’s thrashing of Valencia after coming off the bench in the 68th minute.
Champions League: Newcastle United v Barcelona
Having sneaked into the Champions League on goal difference on the final day of last season, Newcastle get their campaign under way with a match-up that could scarcely be more glamourous. Eddie Howe’s side welcome Barcelona to St James’ Park and while the students of Dundee High School might not be present, the ground will be rocking as Newcastle begin their latest attempt to make the knockout stages for the first time in their history.
They have played Barcelona four times previously, losing on three occasions and winning once. Their most recent match against the five-times European Cup winners was played in March 2003, when Patrick Kluivert and Thiago Motta scored the goals for Barca in a 2-0 win at St James’ Park. Unbeaten so far this season, Hansi Flick’s side come to Tyneside in decent form and on the back of a 6-0 drubbing of Valencia.
Their hosts have had a mediocre start to the season, taking just five points from 12 available in the Premier League thus far. However, they did notch up their first victory in beating Wolves at the weekend, so confidence will be high. Kick-off is at 8pm but we’ll have team news and build-up in the meantime.
