Three talking points as Barcelona prepare to face Newcastle United in UEFA Champions League | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are set to take a trip to England to face Newcastle United at St James’ Park in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16. The Catalan club will be keen to take an advantage back to Spotify Camp Nou in this two-legged tie.

This is not the first time Barcelona will be facing the Magpies this season. They began their League Phase with a trip to Newcastle, where they managed to secure a 2-1 win, thanks to a brace from former Manchester United star Marcus Rashford.

Now that this is a two-legged tie, though, the dynamics might be different. Barcelona will need to ensure they get through to the next round over the two legs, and that means trying to secure a slender advantage away from home.

With all this in mind, here are three talking points for Barcelona as they prepare to face Newcastle United in the Champions League.

1. Technical prowess vs physical dominance

There is no doubt that Barcelona have the better technicians of the two teams on the pitch. The likes of Pau Cubarsi, Pedri, Joao Cancelo, Marc Bernal, and Lamine Yamal are highly technical, and the Catalan club can definitely impose a better positional game.

Barcelona’s aim has to be to make the game positional and possession-oriented, and to avoid getting sucked into a basketball-like contest, which would play straight into Newcastle United’s hands. The Magpies play football on two bases: pace and physicality.

In terms of physicality, Barcelona are no match for the kind of physical dominance Newcastle have in their ranks. Nick Woltemade plays as the attacking midfielder and is a clear mismatch for either Pedri or Bernal in midfield.

Similarly, the likes of Joelinton, Tonali, and Dan Burn are excellent in the air and brutally physical against their opponents. Thus, this is a game that could come down to Barcelona’s technical prowess versus Newcastle’s physical dominance.

2. Genuine match-winners in wide areas

Both Barcelona and Newcastle United have excellent wingers on the pitch. The Catalan club has Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, while the Magpies have Anthony Elanga and Harvey Barnes on the right and left flanks, respectively.

However, it has to be said that although Newcastle have good wingers, they are not game-changers or match-winners like Raphinha and Yamal. The duo is capable of single-handedly putting Barcelona ahead in the tie.

Lamine has been in excellent form in recent seasons. The Spaniard scored a wonder goal against Athletic Club at the weekend and netted a hat-trick against Villarreal in the previous league game. Raphinha has always been a big-game player for Hansi Flick.

This difference in pedigree between the wingers of the two teams could go a long way towards determining who emerges victorious on the night.

3. Targeting the space around Dan Burn

Dan Burn, who is expected to start at the heart of Newcastle’s defence alongside Malick Thiaw, has a tendency to get very physical with his man. Should Robert Lewandowski start for Barcelona, the Newcastle giant is likely to mark the Polish veteran.

This is something Barcelona could look to exploit. Burn has a tendency to follow his man and get pulled out of position, and Lewandowski is very smart at dropping deep and laying the ball off to a nearby runner.

Barcelona could look to use opposing movements to target the space left behind by Burn. In Thiaw, Newcastle have a defender who is very good but often tends to have a lapse in concentration, and the likes of Raphinha, Yamal, and Fermin/Olmo are very clever at exploiting that space.

Everything points to Barcelona needing to play a good brand of football to beat Newcastle at SJP, and Lewandowski could possess the key to unlocking the Pandora’s box tonight.