Why Newcastle vs Barcelona is destined to be another Champions League classic encounter

[p]In the league phase earlier this season, the Catalans emerged as 2-1 winners thanks to a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rashford-marcus/COnT2Lh0/"]Marcus Rashford[/a] double, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gordon-anthony/EFo95m2P/"]Anthony Gordon[/a] supplying the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-utd/p6ahwuwJ/"]Magpies[/a]' consolation in the 90th minute.[/p][h2]Rashford is the man for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barca[/a] in UCL play[/h2][p]Though Rashford has generally been viewed as backup to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/raphinha/xtBsDPam/"]Raphinha[/a] et al in league play, the England international has shone in the premier European tournament, scoring five goals already in this season's competition, level with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fermin/2c2ipETG/"]Fermin Lopez[/a] as Barca's leading scorer.[/p][p]He can also boast the joint most assists (three), and along with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lamine-yamal/lAt3vEub/"]Lamine Yamal[/a], he's taken the most shots at goal (22).[/p][embed guid="9d6864e3-6734-4708-90c8-8eedbd76445c" url="https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1968775423770190106?lang=en" social-type="twitter" /][p]Both Rashford and Fermin have a way to go to match Gordon's output, however.[/p][p]With 10 goals in the UCL, he has the second most goals behind [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Kylian Mbappe[/a]'s 13 in 25/26, and will certainly provide the attacking impetus to keep the Catalans on the back foot for much of the game.[/p][p]Indeed, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/howe-eddie/hbOpz9hE/"]Eddie Howe[/a] needs to drill into his attacking players how important it is to get at Barca's back line as early as possible and as often as possible.[/p][p][a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Ih64uxfcLpwaRDDlBcP8d?si=nBDObZI2TKGy9lV0t6yOtg"][b]Listen to an audio version of this article on Spotify here.[/b][/a][/p][h2]Newcastle need to get at Barcelona's defence[/h2][p]As was shown earlier in the competition, Hansi Flick's side were no match for a rampant and lively [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] at Stamford Bridge, and were also held by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/club-brugge/rgTHIK74/"]Club Brugge[/a] after a lacklustre performance in Belgium.[/p][p]Despite Barca's great form generally in 2025/26, they really have struggled to get going away from home in some games, particularly in the UCL.[/p][image alt="Newcastle v Barcelona - Head to head results" id="194a9fff-6dd7-4fc5-a324-1527cba826c0" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="737b5b76-27c0-483b-b67d-a39dd33155c3" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]The hosts will be buoyed by their recent home win over a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Man United[/a] side that had remained unbeaten under [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/carrick-michael/phM8NElP/"]Michael Carrick[/a], and a 9-3 aggregate win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/qarabag-agdam/Qgd3eSin/"]Qarabag[/a], which got them to this stage of the competition.[/p][p]Under the lights at St James' Park, the Magpies can be a formidable outfit too, roared on by the Toon Army.[/p][p]In the UCL, for example, the loss to Barca remains their only home defeat. They've won the other four and, like their opponents, have been scoring for fun.[/p][h2]Magpies have scored in every UCL game in 25/26[/h2][p]Newcastle have, in fact, scored in every Champions League game so far this season, and with 26, they have the most of any team in the competition.[/p][p]However, Howe will also be acutely aware that his team have recently been beaten twice by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Man City[/a], a team that plays in a not too dissimilar way to Barcelona, and they were also turned over by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/everton/KluSTr9s/"]Everton[/a] at St James' Park just over a week ago.[/p][image alt="Champions League 2025/25 Top Scorers" id="8f100ad6-9912-4285-ae16-d9d8de79935b" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform (Giorgi ARJEVANIDZE / AFP)" guid="b07a82ef-101c-44b4-b98a-3c1b3536d8b7" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]There's also the weight of history in this particular fixture to reverse, given that Newcastle have lost four of the five games between the two teams, winning just the one on a famous night in the North East back in the 1990's when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/asprilla-faustino/EgrL0qOF/"]Faustino Asprilla[/a] was the hat-trick hero.[/p][p]A similar level of performance will be required in this match if the tie isn't to be considered over before the Premier League side even travels to Catalonia, particularly when you consider that the Blaugranes have beaten English teams five times in recent last 16 UCL ties.[/p][h2]No need for Barca to be gung-ho[/h2][p]In their last six matches in all competitions, Newcastle have won three and lost three, scoring 15 and conceding 12 in that time. [/p][p]Barcelona have won four and lost two in their last six, scoring 12 and conceding seven, but in many respects, they don't even need to be as gung-ho as normal, even though they scored 10 in their last three UCL games alone, and nine more in the three games prior to that - which included the 3-0 defeat against Chelsea. [/p][embed guid="a8974222-c002-4b5b-b51d-85b0a65fb9ef" url="https://x.com/ChampionsLeague/status/2028536709881757926" social-type="twitter" /][p]The second leg in a week back at Camp Nou represents a great chance for them to continue their sensational form there, which has seen them win every home game this season.[/p][p]Furthermore, in the calendar year alone, every game that the Catalans have played at home has been won by three goals.[/p][h2]Newcastle better the Catalans in a number of metrics[/h2][p]Even so, it's Newcastle that comes out on top in a number of metrics, and that may come as quite a surprise to fans of the beautiful game.[/p][p]With 145 shots at goal so far in their Champions League games, they've taken five more than Barca, and with 70 of those on target, they place second out of every team in the competition. [/p][embed guid="19257bcb-d25e-46d5-8919-0edebcdd522b" url="https://x.com/NUFC/status/2030951193657155786" social-type="twitter" /][p]Barcelona's 55 shots on target are significantly lower, and their shot conversion rate of 22% is marginally worse than Newcastle's 24%. [/p][p]With 16 chances created each to date, both [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tonali-sandro/fmQVO5TQ/"]Sandro Tonali[/a] and Lamine are likely to be central to just how well their teams do over the two legs, but the one area where the latter and his colleagues continue to excel is with regard to their passing.[/p][p]4,871 made, with 88% of them completed, speaks for itself.[/p][image alt="Newcastle v Barcelona - Live win probability" id="b9bbed10-51e0-4f6a-8105-e071c86985fe" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="f9a3e3a2-ec72-4a6d-8089-96e211971f8a" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]In terms of the current injury situation, all of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-jong-frenkie/A1F3rz9c/"]Frenkie de Jong[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kounde-jules/v36QVRPu/"]Jules Kounde[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/balde-alejandro/6c0CXHVM/"]Alejandro Balde[/a] haven't travelled, meaning that starts for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bernal-marc/pf3IOiFD/"]Marc Bernal[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cancelo-joao/dAyeWYpm/"]Joao Cancelo[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martin-gerard/nBVu0v9a/"]Gerard Martin[/a] are almost certain.[/p][p]Newcastle will still be missing talismanic captain, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bruno-guimaraes/xtyKanzU/"]Bruno Guimaraes[/a], and this two-legged tie will also come too early for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/krafth-emil/IXXA0mtd/"]Emil Krafth[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schar-fabian/0SebIVqC/"]Fabian Schar[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/miley-lewis/nR5TcNGS/"]Lewis Miley[/a].[/p][image alt="Jason Pettigrove" id="e4f6dc88-ccf4-47fe-999b-06a1ad17db9a" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="d4969c05-de39-48ea-ae5b-a641a8e5c1a7" original-width="1200" original-height="380" /]