Newcastle United will look to bounce back from their early exit from the FA Cup against Manchester City, featuring Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush, when they host Barcelona on Tuesday night in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 at St James’ Park.
The match marks the second meeting between the two sides this season.
Barcelona previously secured a 2–1 victory over Newcastle during the opening round of the league phase earlier in the competition.
Newcastle have reached this stage of the tournament for the first time in their history after a dominant performance in the knockout playoffs, defeating Qarabag of Azerbaijan with an impressive 9–3 aggregate victory.
The English side had finished 12th in the league phase standings before advancing.
Meanwhile, Barcelona ended the league phase in fifth place, securing qualification for the Round of 16 for the 20th time in the club’s history, continuing their consistent presence in the knockout stages of Europe’s premier competition.
Newcastle will aim to take advantage of home support at St James’ Park, while Barcelona seek a strong result away from home ahead of the decisive second leg.
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