Newcastle United vs FC Barcelona: Match preview | UCL | OneFootball

The UEFA Champions League returns with a major test awaiting FC Barcelona in England. The Catalan giants travel to St James’ Park to face Newcastle United in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie, where they will aim to secure a favourable result away from home.

At this stage of the competition, even the smallest mistake can prove costly. For that reason, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick will need to ensure that both his team selection and tactical approach are perfectly suited for this high-stakes encounter.

Match details:

Match overview:

Playing away from home in the first leg of this Round of 16 clash in Europe’s premier club competition, Barcelona will need to be at their very best to come away with a positive result. While the Blaugranes managed to secure a victory the last time these two sides met at the same stadium earlier this season, every match presents a different challenge.

Fortunately for Barça, they come into this game with good form and momentum. With four wins in their last four games, the Catalan giants are currently flying and should believe in their quality, which is good enough to take on any side in world football.

Having scored 12 goals in their last five games, while having conceded just three goals in the same period, Barcelona are looking to continue that good run of form. Their opposition, on the other hand, is struggling a bit in that regard.

With three losses and two wins in their last five games, the home side is struggling to find consistency. However, they can definitely be dangerous, and Barcelona will want to avoid giving them easy opportunities in this game.

They have scored 9 goals in their last five games, but have conceded 11 as well. Despite the fact that they have scored in each of those five games, they are also simultaneously conceding goals as well.

This is good news for Barça, given that the Catalan giants rarely ever struggle to find the back of the net. However, a win here would only be possible if the selection is the right one and the players deliver the performances that are expected of them.