Barca have only lost once on home soil this season, 2-1 to PSG at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys while Camp Nou was being renovated
Newcastle only picked up five points from their four league phase away games
Recommended bet: Barcelona to win and both teams to score
Newcastle go to the Camp Nou having secured a 1-1 draw at home in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie, but may struggle to overcome a freescoring Barcelona side on Wednesday.
Team News
Hansi Flick has several injury headaches to contend with, but will take some comfort from the return of influential midfielder Gavi, who made his first appearance since August on Saturday.
Lamine Yamal was also introduced from the bench against Sevilla, after struggling with illness towards the back end of last week.
Alejandro Balde, Jules Kounde, and Frenkie de Jong are all nursing hamstring strains, while Andreas Christensen remains sidelined after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in December.
Thanks to a nasty collision with Villarreal defender Pau Navarro, Polish marksman Robert Lewandowski will sport a protective face mask for a third consecutive match.
Newcastle continue to miss the presence of combative skipper Bruno Guimaraes, who suffered a hamstring injury during last month’s victory over Spurs.
Fellow midfielder Lewis Miley is still struggling with a thigh problem, while defensive duo Emil Krafth and Fabian Schar are also both absent.
Although Anthony Gordon has recovered from the illness that limited his game time in last week’s first leg, Sandro Tonali is now hampered by a sickness bug.
The latest Barcelona vs Newcastle United odds are available on LiveScore Bet
The stats
Barcelona have already netted 117 times this season – almost a fifth of these goals were registered in the Champions League.
Despite their productivity in the final third, Wednesday’s hosts have failed to keep a single clean sheet in Europe.
Only three clubs have scored more Champions League goals than Newcastle, while star striker Anthony Gordon is the competition’s second top-scorer.
The Magpies have failed to beat Barca in either of their two meetings this term, losing narrowly in September before last week’s 1-1 draw.
Prediction
Currently four points clear at the LaLiga summit and carrying plenty of momentum in Europe, Barcelona have their sights set on another immensely successful campaign.
The reigning Spanish champions have dished out several hammerings at the Camp Nou in recent weeks, as the likes of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha continue to rip apart opposition defences.
Nevertheless, the visitors will undoubtedly provide a stern test. Newcastle have already shown they can produce a positive result at the home of a European big gun, after claiming a hard-fought draw against last season’s Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes.
Although they have been inconsistent on the domestic front, Eddie Howe’s men have not lost a continental fixture since November.
However, the omens suggest Barcelona will see this one through. The Catalans have progressed from each of their last 20 Champions League knockout ties in which they have drawn the opening leg at an opposing venue, as part of a sequence that dates back to the 2002-03 campaign.
Furthermore, the Geordies have lost five of their six away matches against Spanish opposition, while last week’s draw at St. James’ Park was only the second time Newcastle avoided defeat to Barcelona in their six previous meetings.
Back Barcelona to win and both teams to score at 7/5 with LiveScore Bet
