And so, it was last Friday morning where Newcastle United learnt that they would play FC Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League, setting up a March madness fixture list which will test an already stretched squad.
United will play six games in 18 days against some of Europe’s elite sides (and the Mackems) missing Bruno Guimaraes, Fabian Schar, Lewis Miley (until Barcelona away?), Tino Livramento (for some), and Emil Krafth. Two of those men being key pillars of the starting eleven who, on their day, can create and mark players out of a game is a bitter blow.
Still, it’s an exciting run of fixtures that will certainly whet appetites on Tyneside, in what now appears to be the most crucial month of the season bar none.
So, let’s look at those fixtures and try to work out where United will be come the international break following the derby.
Manchester United (H) – Premier League – 4th March – 20:15 KO
A huge game against a side reinvigorated by a new manager in Michael Carrick and has the cleanest of clean slates when it comes to fixture lists. Newton Heath are ten games unbeaten (at the time of writing & that includes wins against Arsenal and Man City) and are certainly benefiting from only playing in one competition.
In a week when it was revealed that the club are £1.3 BILLION pounds in debt, they’re now riding the wave of a summer splurge that saw them spend £200m on a new forward line that, admittedly, includes some great footballers.
Sesko is no longer a joke signing either having scored five in seven, and they appear to have found a way to play that brings them results that have seen them rise to fourth in the table.
However, United won five out of the last seven against them (including the last three at SJP) and will be looking to start this run of fixtures off with a bang.
Manchester City (H) – FA Cup – 7th March – 20:00 KO
Many fans will be sick of the site of Pep’s men with this set to be the fifth time we have played his side this season, and having lost three of the previous four, mixed with our generally abysmal form against them, it’s a daunting fixture no matter how you slice it.
Realistically the FA Cup is United’s only real chance of silverware this season and I think Eddie Howe will go as strong as he possibly can in this fixture despite the Barca match being just 72 hours later (thanks UEFA and the FA for that…).
The home game in the Premier League remains one of only a handful of times we have played well for 90 minutes this season, and it will take a repeat performance at that level to progress but get through that and hopefully get a decent draw in the QF’s, and we’re back at Wembley.
FC Barcelona (H) – Champions League – 10th March – 20:00 KO
The Barca draw is a romantic one but an equally difficult one which many would agree presents a bigger challenge on paper than the alternative was in Chelsea. The atmosphere will need to be electric as the fans will have to be the proverbial twelfth man, because as we saw earlier in the season, when Barca turn it on they can be devastating.
Another factor will be Lamine Yamal, who was missing from the league stage game, and La Liga will certainly do a lot more for its side (in terms of moving the league game prior against Athletic Club or even cancelling it) to give them the best chance of being the fittest they can be for this tie.
Frankie de Jong will miss both matches via injury, but they still have a plethora of some of best players in Europe despite years of financial mismanagement. United will need something from this game to take to Camp Nou, so it promises to be a hell of a night.
Chelsea (A) – Premier League – 14th March – 17:30 KO
Fresh from a £355m loss for the 2024-25 season (the game is rigged financially) Chelsea will go into this match on the back of a challenging tie against PSG in the Champions League. Spotty (form wise) at the best of times and with a near-rookie manager Chelsea are far from the dominant force they used to be.
However, United have a dreadful record at Stamford Bridge, it just seems to be one of those grounds that has a bit of a mental hoodoo over us. Yet it’s positioning in this run of fixtures in problematic for both sides, so it may see some rotation from both.
Chelsea should be gearing up for a summer of decline and an intense fire sale to meet financial rules, instead they will be allowed to sail through with nary a slap on the wrist, so let’s hope we can pick up a result to show that financially doping doesn’t bring success…
FC Barcelona (A) – Champions League – 18th March – 17:45 KO
Kick off times once again conspire against Newcastle with a late kick off going into an early kick off…but everything will probably depend on what the lads can take into this tie. Our away form has been generally awful this season so to go to Spain with nothing positive would make it a huge mountain to climb. Could be one of the greatest nights in the club’s history if we go through.
Sunderland (H) – Premier League – 22nd March – 12:00 KO
The Mackems will come into the match on the back of a week’s rest, not being Europe, but they do have a tricky tie against Brighton the week prior. Their form has dipped recently, winning only two in nine (again at the time of writing), but we all know that can mean nothing come derby day.
After the surrender in the first derby of the season this is simply a must win. What happened in December was, frankly, unacceptable, but the squad and Eddie Howe will know that, and must be looking to put it right, no matter what has happened before.
March madness tends to be the most exciting time in Basketball in the US, and Newcastle are about to embark on the maddest run of fixtures in a season littered with crazy runs of fixtures. Strap in, it promises to be a hell of a ride, and by the time of the next international break, we will know whether the 2025/26 season will be remembered or forgotten.
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