Both bidding to bounce back from demoralising domestic defeats, Newcastle United and Athletic Bilbao face off in the Champions League league phase at St James’ Park on Tuesday evening.
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The Magpies were slain 3-1 by West Ham United in Sunday’s Premier League showdown, while their La Liga counterparts fell to a 3-2 loss to Basque rivals Real Sociedad in the Spanish top flight.
Match preview
Finding their feet in the Champions League after a valiant yet inconsequential effort against Barcelona first up, Newcastle have been close to flawless in their last two European affairs, registering six points, seven goals and two clean sheets against a pair of beleaguered foes.
Eddie Howe masterminded a 4-0 beatdown of Union SG in Belgium before overseeing a 3-0 success over Jose Mourinho’s Benfica on matchday three, leaving the Magpies just inside the automatic last-16 places thanks to a superior goal difference over the six other teams on six points.
Travelling all the way back to the early 2000s, Newcastle have now avoided defeat in 29 of their last 33 European home matches in any continental tournament, securing 22 wins in front of the fervent St James’ Park atmosphere during that time.
The Magpies are doing their utmost to turn their home ground into a fortress in 2025-26 too, and they enter Wednesday’s game on a four-match winning run on their own turf, scoring nine goals and conceding just one in that hot streak.
However, the hosts are still leaving a lot to be desired on the road and suffered a surprise two-goal defeat to lowly West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday, a result that left Howe apoplectic at his side’s lack of “dynamism”, “physicality” and “energy”.
Also shipping three on the road during their most recent top-flight affair, Athletic Bilbao fought back from a goal down on two occasions against derby rivals Real Sociedad in La Liga, but they had no response to Jon Gorrotxategi’s 92nd-minute winner for the home side.
Defeat to their near neighbours prolonged a painful sequence for Ernesto Valverde’s men, who are a far cry from the side that won each of their opening three games of the season in August – the visitors have since picked up just two victories from their last 11 in all tournaments.
However, one of those successes came in Athletic’s most recent Champions League contest – a 3-1 triumph over Qarabag that lifted Valverde’s men up to 21st in the table following back-to-back defeats to Arsenal (2-0) and Borussia Dortmund (4-1).
Newcastle’s stellar home record also makes for grim reading for an Athletic side who have failed to win any of their last five games on the road – losing four of them – and only one of their last nine matches away to an English club has ended in victory.
Athletic and Newcastle are not total strangers to one another, but Wednesday’s fixture will mark a first meeting between the sides in over 30 years following their second-round clash in the 1994-95 UEFA Cup, which the Spanish side won on away goals following a 3-3 aggregate stalemate.
Newcastle were dealt a late blow ahead of their loss to West Ham, which Kieran Trippier missed due to illness, and critical midfielder Bruno Guimaraes has also come down with the same bug so is a doubt.
Yoane Wissa (knee), Tino Livramento (knee) and Harrison Ashby (thigh) are guaranteed absentees for Wednesday’s game, but Lewis Hall was back in the matchday squad at the London Stadium after a thigh issue, although he did not make it onto the pitch.
Anthony Gordon was one of three players taken off by Howe at half time, and the Magpies boss revealed that a hip issue was a factor in his decision to withdraw the winger, whose spot may now be filled by Harvey Barnes.
As for Athletic, Valverde lost the long-serving Inaki Williams to a serious adductor injury during their most recent Champions League fixture with Qarabag, and the 31-year-old forward is not expected to play again until 2026.
Williams is joined on Athletic’s long-term absentee list by Maroan Sannadi (knee), Benat Prados (ACL), Unai Egiluz (ACL) and defender Yeray Alvarez, who will be out until February due to a doping suspension.
To make matters worse for Valverde, the visitors have been dealt a new triple blow ahead of the trip to Newcastle, as key attacking duo Nico Williams (pubalgia) and Oihan Sancet (hamstring) have been ruled out alongside Yuri Berchihce (calf).
The only slice of positive team news for Athletic comes in the shape of defender Inigo Lekue, who is available again following an adductor injury.
Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Pope; Trippier, Schar, Thiaw, Burn; Miley, Tonali, Joelinton; Elanga, Woltemade, Barnes
Athletic Bilbao possible starting lineup:
Simon; Gorosabel, Paredes, Laporte, Boiro; Ruiz de Galarreta, Rego, Jauregizar; Berenguer, Guruzeta, Navarro
