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 today.
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.
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.
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 today.
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.
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.
