Following the FA Cup defeat against Manchester City, Newcastle United have shifted their focus to the UEFA Champions League.
The Magpies are set to take on Barcelona in the Round of 16, with the first leg set to be played this midweek at St James’ Park. Barça have already announced their squad heading into this clash.
As for Newcastle coach Eddie Howe, he has already raised the temperature of this game by calling it one of the club’s biggest matches in history.
Eddie Howe on facing Barcelona in UCL
Speaking after Newcastle’s FA Cup exit, Howe shifted his focus to the Champions League.
“We have the biggest game in the club’s history in a very short time,” he said (h/t Diario SPORT), referring to the first leg encounter against Barcelona at St. James’ Park.
“We have never been in this position in the Champions League and it is the best competition that exists,” he added.
To be sure, Newcastle United did reach the Round of 16 stage during the 2002-03 season, but they had done so under the previous regulation.
The Magpies will enter this clash on the back of a 12th-place finish in the league phase and a subsequent 9-3 win over Qarabag in the knockout playoffs.
Howe, who was the brains behind Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup triumph last season, said he is confident of his team’s chances against the Catalans.
“We need the fans to feel the same way we do. We have to find energy to raise our performance to a level that we may not have seen this season, because I think that only then can we overcome this tie,” he said.
Barcelona and Newcastle did meet each other earlier in the season, with Barça securing a 2-1 win thanks to a Marcus Rashford masterclass.
Historically, the two teams have met five times in Europe, with a 4-1 record in favour of Barça.
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