Newcastle United vs Barcelona preview, team news, odds and lineups

Eddie Howe's side enters with mixed form (1W-2D-2L), while Hansi Flick's Barcelona arrives in dominant shape (4W-1D).

The Catalans have history on their side, having won both previous meetings in 2002/03.

Despite missing key players like Lamine Yamal and Ter Stegen, Barcelona's attacking prowess led by Lewandowski will test Newcastle's defense.

Newcastle United will host Barcelona in a highly anticipated Champions League match at St James' Park on September 18, 2025, at 20:00. Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg will oversee this exciting encounter between the Premier League and La Liga giants.

This match marks the beginning of the 2025/2026 Champions League campaign for both teams, who will be eager to start their European journey with a positive result.

Newcastle United (4-3-3, Eddie Howe)
Goalkeeper: Nick Pope (1)
Defence: Kieran Trippier (2), Fabian Schaer (5), Daniel Burn (33), Valentino Livramento (21)
Midfield: Bruno Guimaraes (39), Sandro Tonali (8), Joelinton (7)
Forward: Anthony Elanga (20), Nick Woltemade (27), Harvey Barnes (11)
Absent: Jacob Ramsey, Yoane Wissa

Barcelona (4-2-3-1, Hans-Dieter Flick)
Goalkeeper: Joan Garcia (13)
Defence: Jules Kounde (23), Eric Garcia (24), Pau Cubarsi (5), Gerard Martin (18)
Midfield: Pedri (8), Marc Casado (17), Ferran Torres (7), Fermin Lopez (16), Raphinha (11)
Forward: Robert Lewandowski (9)
Absent: Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Lamine Yamal, Marc-Andre ter Stegen

Barcelona holds the historical advantage in their meetings with Newcastle United, having won both of their previous Champions League encounters.

Their most recent clash came over two decades ago in the 2002/2003 Champions League, where Barcelona secured a 2:0 victory at Newcastle on March 19, 2003. In their first meeting of that campaign, the Catalans claimed a 3:1 home win on December 11, 2002.

Newcastle United enter this match with mixed recent form, collecting one win, two draws, and two losses in their last five matches. The Magpies secured a narrow 1:0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers (on 13.09.2025) in their most recent Premier League outing, following consecutive draws against Leeds United (0:0, on 30.08.2025) and Aston Villa (0:0, on 16.08.2025).

Their form was dented by a 2:3 defeat to Liverpool (on 25.08.2025) and a 0:2 loss to Atletico Madrid in a friendly (on 09.08.2025). Barcelona, meanwhile, have been in formidable form, winning four of their last five matches. The Catalans demolished Valencia 6:0 (on 14.09.2025) in their most recent La Liga fixture, following a 1:1 draw with Rayo Vallecano (on 31.08.2025). Prior to that, they secured three consecutive victories against Levante (3:2, on 23.08.2025), Mallorca (3:0, on 16.08.2025), and Como (5:0, on 10.08.2025) in a friendly.