JUMP TO:
With their domestic campaign floundering, Newcastle hope European competition can provide respite as they host La Liga giants Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 matchup.
The Magpies are sitting 12th in the Premier League table, and have been bounced from the FA Cup after defeat to Manchester City over the weekend.
Barcelona, meanwhile, have returned to the summit of the La Liga standings and are primed to push towards silverware on two fronts. The Blaugrana crashed out of the Copa del Rey semifinals at the hands of Atletico Madrid, but only after they nearly completed a ferocious second-leg comeback.
Newcastle vs. Barcelona live score
| Score (Prematch) | Goalscorers | |
| Newcastle | – | – |
| Barcelona | – | – |
Location: St. James’ Park (Newcastle, England)Referee: Marco Guida (ITA)
Starting lineups:
Newcastle (4-3-3, right to left): 32. Ramsdale (GK) — 2. Trippier, 12. Thiaw, 33. Burn, 3. Hall — 41. Ramsey, 8. Tonali, 7. Joelinton — 20. Elanga, 18. Osula, 11. Barnes.
Barcelona (4-2-3-1, right to left): 13. J. Garcia (GK) — 4. Araujo, 5. Cubarsi, 18. Martin, 2. Cancelo — 8. Pedri, 22. Bernal — 10. Lamine Yamal, 16. F. Lopez, 11. Raphinha — 9. Lewandowski.
Newcastle vs. Barcelona talking points, analysis
Following the game, this section will be updated with analysis of the Newcastle vs. Barcelona match.
Newcastle vs. Barcelona key moments
Lineups: The starting XI for both sides has been released! For Barcelona, Gerard Martin continues to deputise at centre-back with a number of defenders injured, with Ronald Araujo a surprise pick to start out on the right instead of Eric Garcia who takes a seat on the bench.
For Newcastle, there’s a surprise up front as William Osula gets the start at striker, with Anthony Gordon absent from the XI as reports indicate he has been ill the past few days, although he does appear on the bench. Dan Burn returns to the lineup at the back, with Sven Botman rotated out.
Alongside Gordon amongst the substitutes is Nick Woltemade, who remains without a goal in any competition since January 10, now on eight Champions League matches without finding the back of the net.
Prematch: Welcome to coverage of the Champions League first leg match between Newcastle and Barcelona!
Lamine Yamal has thrown Barcelona fans into a frenzy when he posted on Instagram ahead of today’s match, “the time has come.” The generational wonderkid could be on a warpath for the Ballon d’Or this year, if he can lead Barcelona to a Champions League title and pair it with a World Cup title later in the summer with Spain. Could that journey be starting in earnest today?
Newcastle vs. Barcelona reaction
Following the game, this section will be updated with post-match reaction from Eddie Howe and Hansi Flick.
Newcastle vs. Barcelona team news
Newcastle team news
- Newcastle are without defenders Emil Krafth and Fabian Schar for quite a while.
- Bruno Guimaraes won’t return for another month due to a muscle injury.
- Eddie Howe must choose between Anthony Gordon, who has torn up the Champions League, or Nick Woltemade up front.
Barcelona team news
- Jules Kounde and Alex Balde both picked up hamstring injuries in the same game last week and will need time to recover, leaving the full-back position strained.
- Frenkie de Jong is still not ready to return from his hamstring injury, likely needing another week or two at least.
- Barcelona are taking the return of Gavi slowly as he works back from multiple knee injuries.
Newcastle, Barcelona upcoming schedules
Newcastle upcoming fixtures
| Date | Competition | Match | Location |
| Sat, Mar. 14 | Premier League | Chelsea vs. Newcastle | Stamford Bridge (London, England) |
| Wed, Mar. 18 | Champions League | Barcelona vs. Newcastle | Camp Nou (Barcelona, Spain) |
| Sun, Mar. 22 | Premier League | Newcastle vs. Sunderland | St. James’ Park (Newcastle, England) |
Barcelona upcoming fixtures
| Date | Competition | Match | Location |
| Sun, Mar. 15 | La Liga | Barcelona vs. Sevilla | Camp Nou (Barcelona, Spain) |
| Wed, Mar. 18 | Champions League | Barcelona vs. Newcastle | Camp Nou (Barcelona, Spain) |
| Sun, Mar. 22 | La Liga | Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano | Camp Nou (Barcelona, Spain) |
