Newcastle United welcome Barcelona again to St James’ Park hoping to spring a well-known upset within the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
The Magpies kicked off their Champions League marketing campaign with a 2-1 residence defeat by Barcelona in a pulsating encounter settled by a surprising Marcus Rashford brace.
Since then they’ve misplaced simply as soon as within the competitors, a 2-1 reverse at Marseille, and have received all 4 of their subsequent Champions League fixtures at St James’ Park.
A 3-1 defeat within the FA Cup fifth spherical by Manchester Metropolis, wherein they have been thorougly outplayed by Pep Guardiola’s facet after taking the lead by means of a Harvey Barnes strike, has left the Champions League as Newcastle’s solely probability of silverware.
These hopes are seen as slim, and they are going to be clear underdogs to progress in opposition to Barcelona and arrange a quarter-final tie with both Atletico Madrid or Tottenham.
Hansi Flick’s males have scored 11 objectives of their final 4 video games. Barca prevailed in all of them, although a 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid was not sufficient to safe development from the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.
Barca’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal missed the league part recreation with Newcastle as a result of a groin harm, however he heads into this fixture in high-quality kind.
Having scored a hat-trick within the 4-1 LaLiga win over Villarreal final month, Yamal was the difference-maker once more in a 1-0 victory at Athletic Membership, his wondrous strike flying in off the put up after sensational midfield play from Pedri.
Yamal’s purpose was his nineteenth this season, that means he has already surpassed his tally of 18 from the earlier marketing campaign, which noticed the Blaugrana win a LaLiga and Copa del Rey double and attain the semi-finals of the Champions League.
It would probably require a mammoth effort from Newcastle to maintain Barcelona’s plethora of attacking skills at bay, although Newcastle will probably be assured in their very own skills going ahead.
No group has scored greater than the 26 objectives Newcastle have netted this season within the Champions League, that tally placing them degree with Paris Saint-Germain. Anthony Gordon has accounted for 10 of these, with Kylian Mbappe (13) the only real participant to attain extra.
And, regardless of a fast turnaround from the weekend, defender Kieran Trippier is embracing the problem the Magpies have in entrance of them.
“That is the place the membership needs to be, the place the membership must be for the supporters,” Trippier informed newcastleunited.com after the cup exit to Metropolis.
“In fact, they’re going to be upset with the end result right this moment, however the lads, bodily, we gave every part. It was an enormous shift in opposition to Man United [in a 2-1 win with 10 men] midweek, however once more, no excuses.
“Now we simply must refresh, recuperate properly and once more, a large recreation in opposition to Barcelona on Tuesday. I’m certain the supporters will probably be up for that.”
Staff information for Newcastle v Barcelona
Newcastle stay with out captain Bruno Guimaraes as he recovers from a hamstring harm, whereas Lewis Miley is just not anticipated to return from a muscle subject that has stored him out for the reason that league part finale in opposition to PSG till the return leg at Camp Nou. Defender Fabian Schar (ankle) is unlikely to return till April.
The important thing query for Newcastle surrounds whether or not Tino Livramento will probably be match sufficient to begin at right-back having performed a cameo position in opposition to Metropolis upon getting back from a hamstring drawback. If not, Trippier will probably begin. Jacob Ramsey ought to return in midfield after lacking the Metropolis recreation by means of suspension.
Barca are set to once more be with out full-backs Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde. Frenkie de Jong is out with a hamstring subject, whereas Gavi stays sidelined with a long-term knee drawback.
