Newcastle United vs Athletic Club: UEFA Champions League Preview

Newcastle United and Athletic Club will battle for three crucial points in a UEFA Champions League fixture on Wednesday, November 5th. The game will take place at St. James’ Park, where the home side will be eager to bounce back after a disappointing 3-1 defeat away to an out-of-sorts West Ham in the Premier League over the weekend.

Newcastle started well against West Ham, with Jacob Murphy giving them the lead in the fourth minute, seemingly setting the tone for the match. However, Lucas Paqueta equalized in the 35th minute, and Sven Botman’s own goal in first-half injury time put the Hammers ahead. Tomas Soucek sealed the victory deep into injury time, leaving Newcastle to regroup ahead of their European clash.

Meanwhile, Athletic Club suffered a 3-2 loss away to arch-rivals Real Sociedad in the Basque derby in La Liga. Brais Mendez opened the scoring for Sociedad in the 38th minute, only for Gorka Guruzeta to equalize four minutes later. Goncalo Guedes restored the hosts’ lead early in the second half, but Robert Navarro leveled the score once again. The match-winner came from Jon Gorrotxategi in the seventh minute of injury time, leaving Bilbao to shift their focus to continental competition.

In their last UEFA Champions League outing, Athletic Club secured a 3-1 home victory over Qarabag. Newcastle, on the other hand, cruised to a 3-0 home win against Benfica. This latest success has left the Magpies sitting eighth in the UCL standings with six points from three matches, while Bilbao currently occupy 21st place with three points.

Newcastle United vs Athletic Club: Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

• The two sides were previously drawn in the 1994-95 UEFA Cup knockout rounds, where Bilbao advanced on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw.
• Newcastle are aiming to win three consecutive games in a major European competition for the first time since 2007.
• Bilbao are winless in their last five away European matches, suffering four losses.
• Four of Newcastle’s last five competitive games have seen three goals or more scored.
• Bilbao have won just one of their 10 away European games against English clubs, losing eight.

Match Prediction

Newcastle United have made a strong start to their Champions League campaign, bouncing back from an opening defeat to Barcelona with back-to-back wins featuring three or more goals. Athletic Club have struggled against English opposition and have already lost three matches to English sides this year. They are aiming to avoid becoming only the second Spanish team to lose four games to English opponents in a single calendar year.

Considering recent form and historical records, we expect the home side to secure a comfortable victory while conceding at least one goal. Fans can likely look forward to an entertaining match with goals at both ends.

Prediction: Newcastle United 3-1 Athletic Club

Betting Tips

• Newcastle United to win
• Both teams to score
• Over 2.5 goals

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