Newcastle vs. Athletic Bilbao: Predicted XI for the Champions League Key Match

Newcastle United will have an awesome opportunity to cement themselves as one of the main competitors in Europe when they face Athletic Bilbao for the UEFA Champions League matchday 4.

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Magpies will be hosting Athletic Bilbao at St. James Park, looking to win their third UEFA Champions League match in a row and keep their place in the top 8 spots that get a direct path to the playoffs.

After last weekend's collapse against West Ham, where the Magpies got a surprise defeat, now they have their eyes on who is going to pay for that, and the Spanish team is the next obstacle ahead.

Fortunately for Eddie Howe’s squad, the UEFA Champions League has served to build their confidence up after tearing up Benfica and Union Saint-Gilloise defences in past European matches.

The last time both teams met was during a summer friendly match in 2022, when goals scored by Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson helped Newcastle to defeat Athletic two goals to one.

Eddie Howe will try to recover the winning momentum lost over the last Premier League match, and having all the St. James Park’s support will be very helpful to achieve that goal in a European match.

On top of that, the results in previous fixtures have not helped Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League so far. Currently, they sit in 21st place in the league table after two defeats and just one game won, against Qarabag.

Possible Starting XI’s for Newcastle United vs. Athletic Bilbao

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Newcastle United has its future on their own hands to remain as one of the top teams in Europe, because of this, Howe’s selection regarding Newcastle’s starting lineup will be crucial.

According to the SofaScore platform, these are the predicted starting lineups for Newcastle United vs Athletic Bilbao at St. James Park.

Newcastle United

Goalkeeper: Nick Pope.
Defenders: Kieran Trippier, Malick Thiaw, Sven Botman, and Dan Burn. 
Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, and Joelington.
Attackers: Jacob Murphy, Nick Woltemade, and Harvey Barnes.

Athletic Bilbao

Goalkeeper: Unai Simón.
Defenders: Andoni Gorosabel, Aymeric Laporte, Aitor Paredes, and Yuri Berchiche.
Midfielders: Mikel Jauregizar, Alejandro Rego, and Oihan Sancet.
Attackers: Alex Berenguer, Nico Williams, and Gorka Guruzeta.

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For Newcastle players like Guimaraes and Voltemade, this match might showcase them to the entire world with their leadership and roles as cornerstones of this ambitious project.

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