Newcastle United are fully ready for their return to the Champions League this season.
After finishing fifth in last season’s Premier League, Eddie Howe’s side booked their place back in Europe’s elite competition.
Now Newcastle United know who their opponents will be, with the Champions League draw completed last week.
The Magpies’ marquee game is against Barcelona. They face off at St James’ Park on 18th September, giving Eddie Howe less than three weeks to prepare.
There is also a mouthwatering return to the Parc des Princes, with Newcastle facing PSG away in their final Champions League game. It will be a chance at redemption for Tino Livramento after what happened in 2023.
Bayer Leverkusen sack Erik ten Hag
From the eight teams that Newcastle will face in this season’s Champions League, one of them is already set to change manager.
It has been announced that Bayer Leverkusen have sacked Erik ten Hag, despite only taking over as Xabi Alonso’s successor on 1st July.
The former Manchester United boss oversaw three competitive games before being relieved of his duties. He won his first in the DFB-Pokal, before winning just a single point from his opening two Bundesliga games.
Following a 3-3 draw with Werder Bremen, Leverkusen have decided to sack the Dutchman.
On the decision, their sporting director Simon Rolfes told Leverkusen’s official website: “This decision was not an easy one for us. Nobody wanted to take this step. However, the past few weeks have shown that building a new and successful team with this setup is not feasible. We firmly believe in the quality of our team and will now do everything we can to take the next steps in our development with a new setup.”
When Newcastle United play against Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen will be Newcastle’s sixth opponent in the Champions League, and it will be interesting to see who their manager is by then.
By the time the Magpies travel to the BayArena, they will have a much better idea of whether or not they are going to qualify for the next stage of the competition.
Eddie Howe’s side face Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday 10th December. It comes just three days before the Tyne-Wear derby at the Stadium of Light.
Newcastle face two massive games in the space of a few days, which will be par for the course this season. It is going to be a relentless campaign, which is why it is vital that the Newcastle United squad has been strengthened.
That is set to happen on transfer deadline day, with Yoane Wissa set to join from Brentford.
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