Barcelona vs Newcastle United: Preview and Prediction
Barcelona will look to book a spot in the last eight of the Champions League when they host Newcastle United in the second leg of their round of 16 tie.
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona were hoping to take a clear advantage from the first leg, but they were held to a 1-1 draw away by Newcastle United and now face a significant task heading into the return fixture on Wednesday night. With the tie finely poised, both teams still have everything to play for.
While the Catalan giants remain favourites, they were on the verge of defeat in the first leg before an injury-time penalty from Lamine Yamal rescued a result. Backed by their home crowd at Camp Nou, Barcelona will be confident of getting the job done, but the Magpies are unlikely to make things easy.
Flick’s team have won five out of their last six games in all competitions, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of an impressive 5-2 win over Sevilla. They are firmly in control of the league title race and will be hoping to take another step towards their sixth UCL title with a win here.
Meanwhile, the visitors haven’t been at their best this season as they are ninth in the Premier League. But they did put up a solid display in the first leg at home. The Magpies have won two out of their last four games, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of an impressive 1-0 win over Chelsea.
The away win against the Blues will certainly give them a lot of confidence, and they will be hoping for a similar result against Barcelona. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Barcelona
Barcelona remain without the services of Alejandro Balde (hamstring), Frenkie de Jong (hamstring), Jules Kounde (hamstring) and Andreas Christensen (ACL).
Lamine Yamal, who featured as a substitute in their last outing, should be in the starting XI here.
The Catalan giants will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Joan Garcia will be in goal. Joao Cancelo and Gerard Martin are expected to be the full-backs, while Ronald Araujo will partner with Pau Cubarsi in the heart of the defence.
Pedri and Marc Bernal will shield the backline. The duo will look to ensure they dominate possession and dictate the pace of the game.
Lamine Yamal and Raphinha will feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Fermin Lopez will take up the number ten role behind star striker Robert Lewandowski, who will be leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia; Cancelo, Araujo, Cubarsi, Martin; Bernal, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Newcastle United
The visitors will be without the services of Bruno Guimaraes (hamstring), Lewis Miley (thigh), Fabian Schar (ankle) and Emil Krafth (knee). Meanwhile, Sandro Tonali will undergo a late fitness test after having missed the Chelsea game.
Anthony Gordon, who didn’t start in the first leg due to illness, is expected to be in the playing XI this time around.
Newcastle will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Aaron Ramsdale will feature in goal. Kieran Trippier and Lewis Hall are expected to feature as full-backs, while Malick Thiaw will partner with Dan Burn in the heart of the defence.
If fit, Sandro Tonali will take up the holding role in midfield. He will have the support of Jacob Ramsey and Joelinton. The trio will look to ensure Barcelona midfielders do not dominate the ball too deep in their half.
Harvey Barnes and Anthony Elanga will feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. They will look to support the full-backs and wait for the opportunity to hit Barcelona on the break. Meanwhile, Anthony Gordon should be the one leading the line for them.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Trippier, Thiaw, Burn, Hall; Ramsey, Tonali, Joelinton; Elanga, Gordon, Barnes
Key Stats
- Newcastle have only won two out of their last five games in all competitions.
- Meanwhile, the Catalan giants have won five out of their last six.
- Lamine Yamal has the opportunity to equal Kylian Mbappe’s record for the most Champions League goals scored before turning 19 (10).
- Anthony Gordon has bagged 10 goals in the UCL this season. He is only behind Mbappe on the scoring charts.
- Newcastle certainly have an uphill task here, as they have only defeated Barcelona once in the six UCL meetings between the two teams.
Player to Watch
Raphinha
Embed from Getty Images
While all the limelight will be on Lamine Yamal, who has been on fire of late, Raphinha might end up being the most important player for Barcelona on the night. The former Leeds United star is well aware of what to expect from Eddie Howe’s Newcastle, and he certainly has the quality to make a difference.
In the ongoing campaign, he has been involved in 29 games and has contributed towards 22 goals (17 goals, 5 assists). The Brazilian hasn’t been effective enough in the UCL this season, with just one goal to his name; as a result, he will be eager to get his name on the scoresheet in this all-important fixture.
Prediction
Barcelona 2-1 Newcastle United
Barcelona will head into this second leg with confidence, especially with the backing of their home crowd and their strong run of form in recent weeks. Hansi Flick’s men are expected to control possession and dictate the tempo, as they look to break down a disciplined Newcastle defence.
However, Newcastle United have already shown in the first leg that they can trouble the Catalan giants and will look to stay compact and hit on the counter. While the Magpies could make things difficult, Barcelona’s quality in the final third should ultimately prove decisive, helping them edge the contest and secure their place in the last eight.
The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home team, which means Barcelona go through with an aggregate score of 3-2.
