Nostalgia And Opportunity – Newcastle United’s Champions League Draw

Newcastle United has learnt its fate for the Champions League opening phase, with eight opponents: Barcelona, reigning European champion Paris Saint-Germain, Bayer Leverkusen, Benfica, Marseille, PSV Eindhoven, Athletic Club and Union Saint-Gilloise.

There are some ghosts from the past, positive and negative, and some fresh challenges to look forward to. Barcelona return to St James’ Park, 29 years on from a famous 3-2 on Tyneside, a night which went down in folklore thanks to a hat-trick from Tino Asprilla.

Newcastle head to Paris two years on from the last meeting at the Parc des Princes, when another Tino, defender Livramento, was punished for an extremely harsh handball late on, denying a famous victory. Though the 4-1 win at home in what was then the group phase is a much happier memory.

Benfica knocked Newcastle out of the Europa League in 2013 and Eddie Howe’s team will face the Portuguese giant at home, as it will Athletic Club of Spain and Dutch club PSV. Trips to Leverkusen in Germany, French side Marseille and Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium will certainly excite supporters.

Sir Bobby Robson’s team beat Leverkusen home and away in the Champions League back in 2003, before a heartbreaking loss at Marseille in the UEFA Cup (now Europa League) semi-final a year later. Robson also had two spells as coach at PSV.

There are scores to settle and new discoveries to be made. Union, for example, is a small, trendy club in Brussels debuting in the competition. It is owned by Brighton’s Tony Bloom and a sister club to the Seagulls. Athletic has a good relationship with Newcastle having played a friendly in 2022; this visit will be a lot more serious.

How will Newcastle United view the Champions League draw?

Being back in the Champions League every season is critical for Newcastle’s development under the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. But competing when it gets there is just as important, and this fixture lists offers a great foundation.

Last time out, in the old group phase, it faced one of the toughest tasks in recent memory. PSG, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan were all seasoned performers on the biggest stage, and though there were bright moments, particularly that win over the French club in the first game at St James’ Park, Eddie Howe’s team came up short. It was tactically naïve at times with a weak mentality in comparison, natural given it was its first exposure at that level.

But now Newcastle is full of winners. It ended a 70-year wait for a trophy last season, beating top sides like Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool on the way. It has learnt, adapted and become more resolute. The new format meant being in pot 4, the lowest seed, was more or less inconsequential.

Last time, it was always going to face teams higher up; now, it has two games from every pot, one home and one away; plenty of opportunity to get through the league phase. There are 36 teams involved, the most important thing is finishing in the top 24 and going through to the play-off round. That is hardly out of Newcastle’s reach.

Barcelona will bring the star attraction to Tyneside in Lamine Yamal, but striking at Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille and Leverkusen will be very important. Strong atmospheres await, but Newcastle can target those games man for man; in Germany, it will be a good chance for Howe to get reacquainted with former Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag, with whom he enjoyed a fraught relationship. But after the departures of Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka and Jeremie Frimpong, the former German champion is in something of a transition.

Newcastle should be more ready for its Champions League odyssey this time around. It will be more business-like and less emotional than last time, which was the first after 20 years.

It was about enjoying the ride then. Now, Newcastle must show it belongs with the elite.