Newcastle vs Barcelona dwell updates: Rashford begins Champions League recreation alongside Raphinha and Lewandowski – The New York Occasions

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Newcastle United welcome Barcelona to St James' Park right now as their Champions League marketing campaign will get below approach.
It a troublesome check first European check of the marketing campaign for Eddie Howe's males, internet hosting the Spanish champions on Tyneside.
Newcastle final performed Champions League soccer two years in the past and have been eradicated within the group stage; Barcelona have been crushed in final season's semi-final.
GO FURTHER
Nick Woltemade’s flying begin at Newcastle: Debut objective, Tesco store and dressing room speech
And that was some singalong to the Champions League anthem from the house supporters as each units of gamers shake palms and put together for kick-off.
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What a show of flags and banners at St James' Park forward of kick-off.
It has an AC/DC theme — as a substitute it’s NU/FC — with a banner studying “Again in Black and White”.
The ambiance is kind of one thing.
Raphinha was sensible within the Champions League final season.
The Brazilian was immediately concerned in additional targets than anybody else on this competitors (21) with 13 targets and eight assists.
He has been an excellent creator of targets for Barca in Europe; he has the perfect assists-per-game ratio (0.46) of anybody within the competitors's historical past with ten or extra assists.
A completely large roar greeted Newcastle United gamers as they warmed up in entrance of the Gallowgate Finish.
St James' Park is pumped for this, make no mistake about it.
Ever for the reason that draw was made, supporters have been eagerly anticipating this one. Kick-off is nearly right here…
Barcelona shouldn't be phased by this ambiance this night.
Their document in opposition to English groups during the last decade or so means that it’s Newcastle who’ve a giant hole to shut.
Barcelona have received 12 of their final 16 Champions League video games in opposition to golf equipment from these photographs, drawing two and shedding the opposite two.
Their final journey to England introduced a type of defeats, although, as they have been hammered 4-0 by Liverpool at Anfield.
The one very acquainted face to the house followers from the Barcelona beginning line-up is that of Marcus Rashford.
The Manchester United loanee has fared fairly properly in his earlier conferences in opposition to Newcastle, scoring 5 targets and placing on three assists in eleven profession begins in opposition to them.
With loads nonetheless to show at Barcelona, you’ll be able to count on him to attempt to impose himself on the sport tonight.
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Having complimented the elevated depth in his squad, Eddie Howe defined why he has gone with Gordon as a substitute of Woltemade up entrance this night.
💬 “Nick (Woltemade) received cramp after about 50 minutes on Saturday. He was launched to English soccer in a hard-hitting approach. Now we have one other recreation in just a few days and it’ll want sure gamers for sure video games however he will probably be concerned in a giant approach tonight.”
Issues are a bit nicer!
As Ed says, the away dressing room is about as fundamental because it will get however there’s a extra luxurious arrange for the house gamers.
Do you assume Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon have sufficient boots?!
Faustino Asprilla is visitor of honour for this match and was simply being interviewed on tv by the touchline at St James' Park.
He sauntered by the press field to get there — like he owned the place, naturally — and was mobbed by followers looking for autographs and selfies. They don't overlook their heroes up right here.
It is likely one of the grand, previous stadiums of the English recreation and St James' Park will probably be completely rocking this night.
The Barcelona gamers received't be welcomed out onto the pitch by the house followers, and their arrival into the away dressing room received't have been notably pleasurable both.
As you’ll be able to see above, it’s very fundamental!
Camp Nou has been closed for the reason that finish of the 2022-23 season for renovations.
It was initially hoped that the revamp can be finished for the beginning of final season, however it nonetheless isn't prepared for Barcelona's return.
They’ve been taking part in on the a lot smaller Estadi Lluis Companys during the last couple of years and that’s the place they may begin this Champions League marketing campaign.
UEFA have confirmed that their first European dwelling recreation of the season — in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain — will probably be performed at Estadi Lluis Companys.
It's all a little bit of a shambles…
GO FURTHER
Barcelona to face Paris Saint-Germain at Montjuic following Camp Nou delays
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Newcastle didn’t have the best experience as a consequence of accidents final time they performed within the Champions League just a few seasons in the past, however this time round supervisor Eddie Howe is assured he has the squad to compete, as he defined to TNT Sports activities.
💬 “It was a giant end result the opposite day (within the league) and it simply means we go into this with a barely totally different feeling. We're excited concerning the competitors and it's wonderful to be a part of it however greater than that, we wish to be aggressive and if we will, progress to the following stage.
“It was an actual problem for us as we went by the match (final time), hopefully we’ll navigate that higher than we did then. I'm pleased with the steadiness of the squad and it's enabled me right now to make just a few modifications.”
It's the Champions League! It's St James' Park! It's Barcelona! Maybe one in every of today this type of event will really feel second-nature to Newcastle, however right now is categorically not that day. How may it’s? That is the membership's second expertise of Europe's elite competitors within the area of three seasons however, protected to say, the novelty has not but worn off. This can be a large one and it feels prefer it.
There’s a caveat coming. Two years in the past, Newcastle trounced Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 within the Champions League and St James' shook. They completed backside of their group. When Faustino Asprilla scored that well-known hat-trick in opposition to Barca and Newcastle received 3-2 in 1997, they completed third and didn't qualify. Romance was tempered by actuality.
Are Eddie Howe and his gamers geared up to show a giant event into a giant marketing campaign? Can Newcastle flip the Champions League into one thing greater than a wonderful, one-off reminiscence? That’s undoubtedly the plan. As Dan Burn has written in his programme notes: “We all know we belong on this stage and we have now a greater understanding of what to anticipate."
Barcelona thrashed Valencia on the weekend and essentially the most spectacular factor about it was that they did it with no few of their star males.
For the primary Champions League recreation of the season, Hansi Flick has gone as robust together with his group choice as he can.
In come the talismen of final season's European marketing campaign, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, and out go Roony Bardghji and Ferran Torres — Marcus Rashford will begin on the left wing.
Elsewhere, Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong are again into the group rather than Eric Garcia and Marc Casado.
That appears like a really, very robust group.
An enormous name from Eddie Howe selection-wise, with Nick Woltemade — recent from his goalscoring debut at St James' Park — on the bench and Anthony Gordon, who remains to be suspended domestically, main the road for Newcastle.
Woltemade requested to return off in opposition to Wolverhampton Wanderers with cramp and was all the time unlikely to start out three video games in seven days. Gordon is recent and able to run. And run. And run.
Anthony Elanga additionally in for Jacob Murphy, which means that there’s uncooked tempo throughout the frontline, given Harvey Barnes retains his place.
Newcastle have been coaching all week with Barcelona's excessive line in thoughts. They imagine they’ve the defensive kind to frustrate Hansi Flick's aspect after which catch them in transition.
Let's see whether or not the speculation works in observe…
And Hansi Flick has chosen these gamers from the beginning tonight:
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Right here is how the hosts will begin tonight's Champions League opener.
We’re only a few minutes away from getting the 2 teamsheets at St James' Park.
The person within the above photograph, Nick Woltemade, will nearly definitely lead the road for the hosts.
The Newcastle followers will probably be protecting a eager eye out to see whether or not Marcus Rashford's title is included among the many starters for Barcelona.
Getting into Alexander Isak’s footwear was all the time going to be a troublesome job however new Newcastle signing Nick Woltemade seems to be as much as the check.
A participant who, within the phrases of 1 first-team supply at United, “breaks the mould” for a 6ft 6in (198cm) striker, Woltemade scored the winner in Newcastle’s final league match in opposition to Wolves.
The 23-year-old is technically wonderful, tactically clever, a robust finisher, and tall however with large room for bodily improvement — Newcastle really feel he has the attributes to change into high class.

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