Newcastle vs Barcelona predictions, team news, betting tips, odds and Bet Builder

Newcastle vs Barcelona kick-off, date & TV info

Date Thursday, September 18
Kick-off 8pm
Venue St James' Park, Newcastle
Competition Champions League
TV TNT Sports 1

Newcastle return to the Champions League with a glamour tie against Barcelona at St James' Park on Thursday although Barca are missing star winger Lamine Yamal due to injury.

Eddie Howe's Magpies are hard to beat at home but Spanish champions Barcelona were the leading scorers in last season's Champions League, losing 7-6 on aggregate to Inter in a thrilling semi-final.

Newcastle vs Barcelona betting tips & predictions

Best bet

Newcastle to score first
2pts 21-20 Coral, Ladbrokes

Player shots

Sandro Tonali to have over 1.5 shots
5-2 bet365

Longshot

2-2 correct score
9-1 general

Newcastle vs Barcelona preview

Newcastle celebrated the return of Champions League football to St James' Park in October 2023 with a resounding 4-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain and they are targeting another famous win against Barcelona.

The Magpies finished bottom of a tough group featuring PSG, Borussia Dortmund and Milan in 2023-24 although goals from Miguel Almiron, Dan Burn, Sean Longstaff and Fabian Schar gave them a memorable success against the Parisian powerhouses on matchday two.

Barcelona played some outstanding football in last season's Champions League, scoring 43 goals in 14 games before losing 7-6 on aggregate to Inter in an extraordinary semi-final tie.

As that scoreline suggests, Hansi Flick's men are defensively vulnerable and Newcastle, roared on by the Toon Army, are worth backing to score the first goal.

Barca travel to Tyneside without their brilliant winger Lamine Yamal, who has already racked up two goals, two assists and 20 shots in three La Liga games this term.

Yamal's injury is a blow to the visitors although Flick still has a host of talented attackers to unleash, including Ferran Torres, Fermin Lopez, Marcus Rashford, Dani Olmo and prolific striker Robert Lewandowski.

Raphinha was the joint-top scorer in last season's Champions League, with 13 goals, but Barca's high defensive line kept opposition forwards interested throughout their run to the semis.

Flick's side came from 3-1 and 4-2 down to beat Benfica 5-4 in the league phase, lost 3-1 at Dortmund in the quarter-final second leg and trailed Inter 2-0 in both legs of the semi-final.

They walloped Valencia 6-0 at home on Sunday but were less convincing on trips to Levante, who blew a 2-0 half-time lead to lose 3-2, and Rayo Vallecano, who had six shots on target to Barca's three in a 1-1 draw.

Newcastle should be competitive with a steely midfield of Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali.

Striker Nick Woltemade scored the only goal of the game on his debut against Wolves and he is 80-1 with Paddy Power to emulate Faustino Asprilla's hat-trick in Newcastle's 3-2 win over Barca in September 1997.

Take Tonali to threaten Barca's goal

Barca's attacking ethos means Newcastle should get chances and Italy midfielder Tonali is a big price to have two or more shots.

He had a couple of attempts in last month's 3-2 loss to Liverpool at St James' Park and was excellent against Wolves on Saturday, hitting the post with one of his three shots.

Magpies could share the points with leaky visitors

Newcastle showed their big-game mentality in last season's EFL Cup, outclassing Arsenal 4-0 on aggregate in the semi-finals before beating Premier League champions Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley.

Yamal's absence is a major boost for the Magpies and Barcelona's patchy away record in the Champions League suggests the 2-2 correct score is worth a small bet.

Newcastle vs Barcelona Bet Builder

Over 2.5 goals

Newcastle lost 3-2 to Liverpool in their toughest early-season Premier League fixture and Barcelona's Champions League matches last term averaged 4.79 goals per game.

Raphinha to score at any time

The Barca winger found the net 13 times in 14 Champions League appearances last season and scored twice after coming on at half-time against Valencia on Sunday.

Joelinton to be shown a card

Newcastle's midfielders will aim to disrupt Barca's rhythm and Joelinton, booked 23 times in his last 62 Premier League starts, looks a leading card candidate.

Exclusively boosted to 10-1 with bet365 (original price 7-1). Click below to claim.

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Key stats for Newcastle vs Barcelona

♦ Both teams have scored in only one of Newcastle's last seven Premier League matches
♦ The Magpies have scored only two first-half goals in their last eight games
♦ Only one of Newcastle's last eight Champions League games featured over 3.5 goals
♦ Barcelona scored 43 goals in last season's Champions League – five more than winners Paris Saint-Germain, who played three more matches
♦ Barca have conceded 17 goals in their last eight away matches in Europe

Newcastle vs Barcelona betting odds

Sign up with Paddy Power to bet on Newcastle vs Barcelona in the Champions League. Here are the latest odds for Thursday's match.

Market	Odds
Newcastle	7-4
Barcelona	11-8
Draw	13-5

Odds correct at time of publishing

Want more top football betting advice? Make sure you take a look at Racing Post Sport's tips for more of the latest picks from our experts.

Newcastle vs Barcelona team news and predicted line-ups

Newcastle

Summer signings Jacob Ramsey (ankle) and Yoane Wissa (knee) are sidelined but Nick Woltemade should lead the line after scoring on his debut against Wolves. Lewis Hall is likely to be on the bench again as he builds up his match fitness.

Predicted line-up (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Schar, Burn, Livramento; Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton; Elanga, Woltemade, Gordon
Subs: Barnes, Hall, Willock, Osula, Botman, Murphy, Thiaw

Barcelona

Star winger Lamine Yamal has been ruled out but midfielder Frenkie de Jong returns to the squad. Gavi, Alejandro Balde and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen are injured and Robert Lewandowski should be preferred to Ferran Torres up front.

Predicted line-up (4-2-3-1): J Garcia; Kounde, E Garcia, Cubarsi, Martin; Casado, Pedri; Raphinha, Lopez, Rashford; Lewandowski
Subs: Torres, Araujo, Christensen, Olmo, De Jong, Bernal, Bardghji

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FAQs for Newcastle vs Barcelona

When is Newcastle vs Barcelona in the Champions League?

The game kicks off at 8pm on Thursday, September 18.

Where is Newcastle vs Barcelona being played?

Thursday's match is taking place at St James' Park in Newcastle.

Where can I watch Newcastle vs Barcelona?

There is live coverage of Newcastle vs Barcelona on TNT Sports 1.

What is the match betting for Newcastle vs Barcelona?

Newcastle are 7-4 to beat 11-8 favourites Barcelona on Thursday and the draw can be backed at 13-5.

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James MiltonSports Betting Journalist

Published on 17 September 2025inChampions League