Hansi Flick’s Barcelona will kick-start their UEFA Champions League campaign with an away fixture against Newcastle United.

For the first time in over 20 years, Newcastle United and Barcelona will square up against each other in the UEFA Champions League. St. James’ Park will play host to this high-voltage fixture on Thursday night.

The Magpies have had a poor start to the new season as they have only managed to win one out of their first four Premier League games. With just five points in their four outings, they are tenth in the Premier League.

While Eddie Howe’e men have not been at their best so far this season, they are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. The home side will be looking to cause an upset against the Catalan giants, but it certainly won’t be easy.

Meanwhile, Barcelona are off to a flying start in the new season, having won three out of their first four La Liga games. While they did drop points on one occasion, Hansi Flick’s team have improved with every passing game.

The reigning La Liga champions are heading into this fixture on the back of a 6-0 win over Valencia, and they will certainly be confident of getting the job done against the Premier League outfit. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

Newcastle United

The home team will be without the services of Jacob Ramsey and Yoane Wissa. While Anthony Gordon is suspended for domestic fixtures, he is available for selection.

Against Barcelona, Newcastle United will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Nick Pope will be in goal. Kieran Trippier and Valentino Livramento will feature as the full-backs, while Fabian Schar should pair up with Dan Burn in the heart of the defence.

In the centre of the park, Joelinton will start alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali. Tonali will take up the holding role, while Joelinton and Guimaraes will look to contribute to the attacking side of things.

Anthony Elanga and Anthony Gordon will feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks, while Nick Woltemade will lead the line for Newcastle United against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League opener.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Schar, Burn, Livramento; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Elanga, Woltemade, Gordon

Barcelona

Hansi Flick will remain without the services of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Gavi, and Alejandro Balde. Meanwhile, Frenkie de Jong and Lamine Yamal are major doubts for this outing. The visitors will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Joan Garcia will be in goal.

Jules Kounde and Gerard Martin will be the full-backs, while Eric Garcia will pair up with Pau Cubarsi in the heart of the defence. As for the midfield unit, Marc Casado will partner with Pedri in the centre of the park.

The duo will look to shield the backline and control the tempo of the game. Fermin Lopez will reprise the no. 10 role, while Raphinha and Marcus Rashford should feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Finally, Robert Lewandowski spearhead the Barcelona attack against Newcastle United.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia; Kounde, Eric Garcia, Cubarsi, Martin; Casado, Pedri; Raphinha, Fermin, Rashford; Lewandowski

Key Stats

• The last time the two teams squared up against each other in the Champions League was back in 2002/03. In the four meetings between the two teams in the UEFA Champions League, Barcelona have won three and lost once.
• Newcastle United have only won one of their last eight European games (D3 L4).
• Newcastle United have only lost three of their last 31 home games in Europe.
• Barcelona have won 12 of their last 16 UEFA Champions League games against English opposition (D2 L2), scoring 2.1 goals per game on average during that run.
• Marcus Rashford has been directly involved in eight goals in 11 career starts against Newcastle United (five goals, three assists), including four in six starts at St. James’ Park against them (two goals, two assists).

Player to Watch

Raphinha

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The Brazilian international was on fire in the Champions League last season. He was involved in 14 UEFA Champions League games, and he scored 13 goals and bagged nine assists. It was a dream campaign for the 28-year-old, and he will be hoping to have a similar impact this season.

Raphinha has had a sensational start to the season. The Brazilian international has found the back of the net on three occasions, and he has also bagged an assist in his four league outings so far. Given the kind of form he has been in, the former Leeds United star could certainly have a big say on the end result of this fixture.

Prediction

Newcastle United 1-3 Barcelona

Newcastle United have not had the best start to the new season. Although they head into this fixture buoyed by a recent win, taking on Barcelona will be a daunting task. Eddie Howe’s side will likely adopt a compact defensive setup, aiming to frustrate the visitors and strike on the counter.

Meanwhile, Barcelona arrive at St. James’ Park fresh from an emphatic 6-0 victory over Valencia. Despite ongoing injury concerns, they boast plenty of quality and depth to overcome Newcastle United’s defensive resilience.

With their attacking firepower and creativity, the Catalan giants are expected to control the game and secure a comfortable win. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Hansi Flick and his charges.