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The UEFA Champions League returns with a thrilling matchup as Newcastle United host Barcelona at St. James’ Park. Both soccer clubs enter this clash hungry for points in a fiercely contested group, making it one of the most intriguing games of the week. We’ll break down the latest Champions League odds, key stats, and betting insights to deliver our Newcastle vs. Barcelona best bet ahead of kickoff.
Our best bet for Newcastle vs. Barcelona is Barcelona to win at +120 (bet365).
Newcastle vs. Barcelona best bet
Barcelona to win
- Barcelona’s Champions League record under Hansi Flick is superb, with just four defeats in 22 matches, winning 14. Newcastle represent a tough test, but the Blaugrana are aiming to lift the trophy, so they are capable of winning here.
- Flick’s commitment to attacking football has made Barcelona a formidable force in Europe. Since the start of last season, the team is averaging 2.95 goals per game in the Champions League, more than any other side. During that time, Barcelona has scored three or more goals in six of its 11 away matches in this competition.
- Newcastle has won its last four Champions League matches at St James’ Park, but this is the first time it has been odds against at home in this competition since losing 2-1 to Barcelona back in September. Eddie Howe’s side have failed to win any of their four matches in this competition, where they have been odds against to win this season.
Newcastle vs. Barcelona match context
- Newcastle welcomes Barcelona to St James’ Park on Tuesday (20:00 local time) for a heavyweight Champions League round-of-16 first leg, looking to avenge a 2-1 defeat suffered against the Catalans in September.
- Newcastle reached the knockout stages via the play-offs after finishing 12th in the league phase, eventually overwhelming Qarabag with an emphatic 9-3 aggregate victory in February.
- Barcelona secured direct qualification for the last 16 by finishing fifth in the opening phase, though its path was not without flaws after defeats to both Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
- Hansi Flick’s side will be wary of the atmosphere on Tyneside, especially given the Blaugrana have struggled for consistency on the road in European competition this term.
- Online sportsbooks are predicting a closely contested affair, with the latest odds giving Barcelona less than a 45% probability of securing a first-leg advantage.
Newcastle vs. Barcelona odds analysis
- Barcelona’s win price in the 1×2 market implies a 44.4% probability of winning, while Newcastle’s odds suggest a 34.5% chance of a home win.
- The Asian handicap line is set at -0.25 for Barcelona. The visitors will need to record a one-goal margin win at St James’ Park to make profits for any Barcelona bettors on this Asian handicap line. Newcastle will return profits on this line with a positive result.
- The Asian goal line is set at over/under 3.25 goals. Four goals are required on the over 3.25 line to profit, while three goals or fewer will yield returns for any bettors who took the under 3.25 goals bet.
- Lamine Yamal has three goals in six Champions League matches this season, while he scored nine goals in the last 12 across all competitions. According to bookmakers, Yamal has a 38% chance of scoring against Newcastle on Tuesday with +162 odds.