Newcastle United and Barcelona Clash in Champions League Opener

Pulse Sports Team 15:30 - 17 September 2025

Newcastle United hosts Barcelona in a Champions League opener at St James' Park on September 18. Eddie Howe's side enters with mixed form (1W-2D-2L), while Hansi Flick's Barcelona arrives in dominant shape (4W-1D). The Catalans have history on their side, winning both previous meetings in 2002-03. Barcelona will miss key players including Lamine Yamal and ter Stegen, while Newcastle are without Ramsey and Wissa in what promises to be a fascinating European night.

Newcastle United will host Barcelona in a highly anticipated Champions League match at St James' Park on September 18, 2025, at 20:00. Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg will oversee this exciting encounter between the Premier League and La Liga giants. This match marks the beginning of the 2025/2026 Champions League campaign for both teams, who will be eager to start their European journey with a positive result.

Newcastle United (4-3-3, Eddie Howe)
Goalkeeper: Nick Pope (1)
Defence: Kieran Trippier (2), Fabian Schaer (5), Daniel Burn (33), Valentino Livramento (21)
Midfield: Bruno Guimaraes (39), Sandro Tonali (8), Joelinton (7)
Forward: Anthony Elanga (20), Nick Woltemade (27), Harvey Barnes (11)
Absent: Jacob Ramsey, Yoane Wissa

Barcelona (4-2-3-1, Hans-Dieter Flick)
Goalkeeper: Joan Garcia (13)
Defence: Jules Kounde (23), Eric Garcia (24), Pau Cubarsi (5), Gerard Martin (18)
Midfield: Pedri (8), Marc Casado (17), Ferran Torres (7), Fermin Lopez (16), Raphinha (11)
Forward: Robert Lewandowski (9)
Absent: Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Lamine Yamal, Marc-Andre ter Stegen

Barcelona holds the historical advantage over Newcastle United in their previous Champions League encounters. The Spanish giants have won both of their previous meetings, with their most recent clash ending in a 2:0 victory for Barcelona on March 19, 2003. Their first encounter saw Barcelona secure a comfortable 3:1 win on December 11, 2002. Both matches took place during the Champions League group stages, with Barcelona demonstrating their European pedigree against the English side.

Newcastle United enter this match with mixed recent form, recording one win, two draws, and two losses in their last five matches. The Magpies secured a narrow 1:0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers (on 13.09.2025) in their most recent Premier League fixture, following consecutive draws against Leeds United (0:0 on 30.08.2025) and Aston Villa (0:0 on 16.08.2025). Their other results include a narrow 2:3 defeat to Liverpool (on 25.08.2025) and a 0:2 loss to Atletico Madrid in a friendly (on 09.08.2025). Barcelona, meanwhile, have been in impressive form, winning four of their last five matches. The Catalans demolished Valencia 6:0 (on 14.09.2025) in their most recent outing, following a 1:1 draw with Rayo Vallecano (on 31.08.2025). They also secured victories against Levante (3:2 on 23.08.2025), Mallorca (3:0 on 16.08.2025), and Como (5:0 on 10.08.2025), demonstrating their attacking prowess with 18 goals scored in these five matches.

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