Khaberni - On a much-anticipated football night in the first leg of the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, Spanish Barcelona returns this Tuesday to St. James' Park to face Newcastle United, in a match filled with the scent of revenge and ambition, and with complex technical calculations provided by the giant "Opta" computer.
"Opta" predictions.. A slight superiority for the Catalans
In a simulation that included 10,000 scenarios, the "Opta" computer favored Hansi Flick's squad by 40.7% to win the away leg, while Newcastle wasn't far behind at 35.2%, with the possibility of a draw at 24%.
These predictions are based on the historical record of Barcelona, which has successfully surpassed the last 5 knockout encounters against English clubs in this round.
Rashford and Gordon.. A clash of "home" and identity
The spotlight in this match is on the English star Marcus Rashford, who returns to face his compatriots wearing the "Blaugrana" shirt; Rashford leads Barcelona's scoring contributions in the championship this season with 8 contributions (5 scored and 3 assisted).
On the other hand, Newcastle places its hopes on the "Golden Boy" Anthony Gordon, who is experiencing an exceptional European season with 10 goals so far, approaching the breaking of historic records held by names like Haaland and Van Nistelrooy.
Numbers and anomalies before the whistle
Historical complex: Barcelona won the last 4 encounters between the two teams, including the league stage match in September (March) last year (2-1).
Record streak: Newcastle enters the match with the longest unbeaten streak in its European history (5 consecutive matches), and it is the team that has been ahead the most in the tournament this season (for a total of 565 minutes).
Lewandowski's experience: The Polish star is one of only three players in history to surpass the 100-goal barrier in the tournament (107 goals), behind Ronaldo and Messi.
Expected Lineup
Newcastle (Eddie Howe): Ramsdale, Trippier, Thiago, Fern, Hall, Ramsey, Tonali, Joelinton, Barnes, Gordon, Woltemade.
Barcelona (Hansi Flick): Juan Garcia, Cancelo, Eric Garcia, Koundé, Gerard Martin, Bernal, Pedri, Jamal, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha, Ferran Torres.
