Magpies Soaring as Basque Giants Seek English Breakthrough
St. James' Park is set for a European night under the lights as a resurgent Newcastle United hosts an Athletic Club side desperate to rewrite their miserable history on English soil. This is a tale of two clubs moving in opposite directions in this season’s competition.
The history between these two is slim but memorable, decided by the narrowest of margins. Athletic Club eliminated Newcastle from the 1994-95 UEFA Cup on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate thriller. For the Basque side, that 3-2 defeat at St. James' Park is part of a broader pattern of struggle; they have won just one of their 10 away games in England, a famous 3-2 victory at Manchester United in 2012. Alarmingly, they have lost all three of their games against English opponents in 2025.
Newcastle, in contrast, is flying high. After a disappointing campaign in 2023-24, they have already surpassed their points tally from that season. Consecutive, dominant wins—a 4-0 thrashing of Union Saint-Gilloise and a 3-0 dismissal of Benfica—have the Magpies on the verge of winning three European games in a row for the first time since 2007.
Athletic’s problems are compounded by a dismal away record in 2025 (D1 L4), which includes three separate 4-1 defeats. No Spanish side has ever lost three consecutive European games while conceding 4+ goals each time.
The Form Guide:
Anthony Gordon: The Newcastle winger has been electric, scoring four goals and becoming the first Magpie to score in three straight UCL appearances. He’s found his scoring touch at the perfect time.
Gorka Guruzeta: Athletic’s main hope lies with their striker, who has scored in his last two games and aims to make it three in a row—a first for any Athletic player in the European Cup.
The Goalkeeping Duel: Athletic’s Unai Simón has conceded seven goals from an xG of just 3.75, indicating he’s been unlucky or below his best. On the other flank, Newcastle’s Jacob Murphy has been a creative force, averaging an assist every 59 minutes in his UCL career.
The momentum is overwhelmingly with the home side. Can Newcastle’s vibrant attack, led by Gordon, overpower a struggling Athletic defense? Or will the Basque lions, led by Guruzeta, finally roar on English turf and keep their knockout stage hopes alive?
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