Eddie Howe Barcelona press conference – The key messages ahead of Thursday | OneFootball

The Eddie Howe Barcelona Press Conference has taken place.

The Newcastle United Head Coach speaking to the media ahead of Wednesday’s game.

Newcastle United facing Barcelona, 8pm at St James’ Park.

On Wednesday, Eddie Howe giving these key updates.

Eddie Howe Barcelona press conference – 17 September 2025:

“It is a historic fixture.

“As soon as we realised we were drawn against Barcelona, it had a magical feel to it.

“I think it will be an amazing game to experience.

“I’m focused on tactical preparation and making sure we deliver a good performance.

“I’m really excited to sample the atmosphere. I know it will be incredible.

“They [Barcelona] are a very good technical team.

“In possession, they’re very comfortable on the ball. They have a lot of pace in wide areas and a lot of goals.

“You saw in their last game [a 6-0 win against Valencia in La Liga] they’re free scoring and have started the season really well.

“All of those things lead to us having to defend very well so our off the ball game plan has to be very strong.

“We’ve started the season well defensively so a continuation of that is going to be important.”

Eddie Howe on the 4-1 win against Paris Saint-Germain in 2023:

“There are things we can certainly take from that game but there are things we can take from the whole experience.

“Ultimately, we didn’t progress beyond the group stage, which was a disappointment, but we can use those experiences to help us.

“For this game, which is all we can focus on, it’s about trying to get a positive result.

“The experience, the size and the magnitude of the games, everything that goes into a Champions League game is different from the Premier League.

“The build up is different, the feel is different.

“Having done that before, it can certainly help us again and the squad is arguably stronger and of course, it has changed from two seasons ago.

“I back the quality that we have.

“It’s a tough looking fixture list for us and I think early games are really important because they set the foundations and tone.”

Eddie Howe on the challenge of trying to progress from the league phase of the Champions League:

“That is the challenge we are looking to take on.

“Yes, we want magical nights, we want those moments that everyone remembers.

“The iconic games are great but you also want consistent results.

“I’m sure that during this Champions League season, we’ll have games where we don’t perform as well, but we have to find a way even in those moments to generate positive results that can carry us through.”

Eddie Howe on Anthony Gordon:

“Anthony’s good. He’s in my thoughts [for tomorrow]. He’s an outstanding player and you can’t have enough of those. We’ll look to utilise him.

“Whether we think that’s from the start of the game, let’s wait and see. He brings a pace and directness to our forward line which you always need. It’s an important season for him in his career and we’re looking forward to helping him reach his very highest levels.”

Eddie Howe on Anthony Elanga:

“He’s in a good place.

“I’ve been really pleased with how he’s integrated himself into the group and how he’s committed to the training that we’ve asked him to do.

“He’s got standout qualities and attributes that we need.

“Similar to Anthony [Gordon], he’s got outstanding pace and directness.

“He’s going through a process where he’s trying to understand everything that’s required of him here which is very different to what was required of him at his former club.

“He’s well on the way to doing that and I’m delighted with him.”

Newcastle United fixtures confirmed dates and times (All of the Champions League matches will also be available to watch on TV in the UK):

Thursday 18th September: Newcastle United vs FC Barcelona (8pm)

Sunday 21 September – Bournemouth v Newcastle (2pm) Sky Sports

Wednesday 24 September – Newcastle v Bradford (7.45pm) Sky Sports+

Sunday 28 September– Newcastle v Arsenal (4.30pm) Sky Sports

Wednesday 1st October: Union SG vs Newcastle United (5:45pm)

Sunday 5 October– Newcastle v Forest (2pm) Sky Sports

Saturday 18 October – Brighton v Newcastle (3pm)

Tuesday 21st October: Newcastle United vs Benfica (8pm)