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Newcastle v Barcelona: Match Preview
0 Playsin 4 hours
Iain flies solo to preview tomorrow's opening Champions League tie v Barcelona, predicting the Toon starting line-up and the final score, whilst acknowledging Matchweek 1 against Barcelona is, in reality, a free hit.
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Transcript
Solo Hosting Explained
00:00:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to the Daily Newcastle, part of the GSPN Sports Network. and My name is Ian McKay, I'm hosting tonight, i'm hosting a alone.
00:00:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
So many circumstances have conspired for me to have to do a solo pod at quarter to midnight um because I got distracted away, stuck in the car, traffic problems, Joanne couldn't come back in time to be at hey It doesn't matter.
00:00:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
does
Excitement for Newcastle vs Barcelona?
00:00:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
It doesn't matter. I'm just really, really pleased that over the course of the last few days, um we've all had a little bit of a go at looking forward to this huge game tomorrow evening.
00:01:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Newcastle against Barcelona kicking off our Champions League campaign in the most dramatic way possible. I don't think we could have asked for a more prestigious team to come and start on game week one.
00:01:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's got to be said, Michael asked the question, is it a free hit for us? I think it is.
Understanding New CL Format
00:01:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
m Basically, this new format for the Champions League, our first go at it, um it's eight games.
00:01:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's eight games to get about 12 points, which is very much just sort of mid-table Premier League form. Yeah. And so can lose a game or two or three or four even, as so Man City did last year, and still get through into the knockout um playoff round to get some progress.
00:02:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
So this is a huge game. It's going to be a fantastic atmosphere. It's going to be a wonderful occasion. But it's not the same as the PSG game, which which was...
00:02:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
which really had some jeopardy riding on it when we were there two years ago and it really set us up to have what we thought would be a fantastic group campaign, which of course, because of posts and bars and referees' decisions ultimately ended up in disappointment.
Barcelona Squad Updates
00:02:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think tomorrow night is a free hit and I do hope that that means that we will go for it because I think We're in for a very, very exciting game, if that's the case.
00:02:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're probably in for an exciting game anyway. It's Barcelona, actually, that we're going to watch. um One thing that has to be noted, confirmed now, as Barcelona turned up and trained on the St. James' Park pitch, no sign of Yamin Lamal, arguably the world's most exciting winger.
00:03:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
um He has not travelled. He's definitely out with his
00:03:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
his groin injury. I'm laughing. I still don't really know what it is, but I think it's so got but i think it's an embarrassing injury. It's not just a pulled muscle, so we put it that way. um You have to look it up because we're not going to go into that sort of thing.
00:03:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not um for him. um lot of people disappointed that they aren't going to see him play in the flesh. um from my point of view, when I'm sitting watching him on the telly, I was just going to watch him on the telly anyway, and I've seen him on the telly, and he is very good, and I'd rather he wasn't very good, playing against Newcastle tomorrow night.
00:03:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Probably replaced by Rashford, I think, and who we know, and we can probably have a better idea of trying to deal with, or Rafinha down that side, but then, you know, we dealt with him when he played for Leeds, I know we've come on leaps and bounds since then.
00:04:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
m So yeah, so no Rafinha.
Newcastle's CL Approach
00:04:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Eddie Howard's press conference today seemed to be very businesslike about Newcastle's chances in the Champions League, which is great.
00:04:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
um I think he admitted that we were a bit... Some of the players, in fact, were probably a little bit naive and it was all a bit new for them. and That possibly had a knock-on effect in the way we approached the are two of the games in that six-match qualifying round.
00:04:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
And as I say, ultimately, we fell just short on going through to the next stage there. But for what he said, there have been lessons learned from that campaign. And ah the implication, I thought, was that he felt that in a way that we had a dry run when we were pleased to be there in the Carabao Cup final and then really got down to business to walk Liverpool in our second Carabao Cup final last season, that a similar sort of approach will be taken in the Champions League this year.
00:05:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
So maybe we won't be overawed by any sort of occasion. um Interesting coming out of the Barcelona press conference that both Hansi Flick, the manager, and Andreas Kristiansen, the assistant manager, ah talked about being fully aware of what a fantastic atmosphere the St.
St. James' Park's Influence?
00:05:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
james's crouch st James's Park crowd can generate at how it's working like a 12th man.
00:05:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now at Certainly, i think that took PSG by surprise two years ago and we really took advantage of it. Barcelona are wise to it, then fair enough. I still don't think that you can be ready for it until you're actually right in the middle of it. So come on, all you guys who are there, let's hear some noise. I and think I'm want going to pause. It's only going to be a short one because it's just me and we have talked a lot about this. I'm going to pause for an advert.
00:06:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'll come back and and have an idea of how we might line up.
Speculating Newcastle's Tactics
00:06:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
um um Michael's not here to contradict me, so I can make anything up I like.
00:06:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know and um but Part two, how are we going to line up? m That's a bit odd, really. I kind of think that if it is a free hit and we really need to win a midfield battle and counteract Barcelona's very high line with our speedsters up front and have enough breaking through to be able to through them that we need to play our usual 4-3-3.
00:07:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Whether we do or not I'm not sure because I know that
00:07:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know that we played with three centre halves when we went away to Leeds and really you understand why we did that um technically seemed very strange when it was Leeds But it could easily have been a dry run to get everybody functioning in that situation because this game has been earmarked for us to to take the same approach as we did when we played home and away against Arsenal in the semi-final of the Caramau Cup.
00:07:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
I wonder if that's the case. um If that is the case, ah think that team almost picks itself because it will be Schaar. Sorry, of it'll be Pope and Goal.
00:08:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
It'll be Schaar. Bottman, Byrne as the three centre-halves. I think of the play as wing-backs, needing the width on the wings. It would be Tino on the right and Lewis Hall on the left.
00:08:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
um We probably
Predicted Lineup Against Barcelona
00:08:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
then play three midfielders of Bruno Tonali and Joe Linton, of course. I think they'll play whatever happens.
00:08:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
With them, Volta Marder, And Gordon interchanging up front. um
00:08:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
mike um i don't think he i don't think he'll want to play that. But if he has chosen to do that, and that's why we did the dry run against Leeds. He did look a bit toothless against Leeds, though. So maybe we did the dry run. He doesn't like it. Who knows?
00:09:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Who knows what goes through the manager's head? And we do trust him. and It's more likely to be our usual 4-3-3. um And I don't think anybody in that team that's three clean sheets at four has done enough to be dropped full from the defence. So we would start Pope.
00:09:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'd have Schaar and Byrne in centre-half. Trippier and Livermento at full-back. That removes the problem. Is it a problem?
00:09:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
That removes the problem of Lewis Hall not having played very much, not being up to match fitness. um hopefully we'd see him come on don't know why didn't come on against Wolves should have had at least half an hour then but anyway um then we'd have our three midfielders Bruno Tonali and Joe Linton Dick Voltemada playing possibly as a false nine dropping drop in back to pick the ball up and play some balls on the inside for Gordon on the left
00:10:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not Barnes. Gordon, we think. And either Murphy or Alanga on the right. don't think Murphy did too badly against Wolves. It'd probably be Murphy. He won't be dropped, I don't think.
00:10:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
But expect maybe a half each from those guys. I think we need to utilise Alanga's pace because nobody will be able to keep up with him. He's so, so rapid.
00:10:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, Volta Marder. being a bit of a playmaker, coming deep to play balls inside, in between the centre-halves and full-backs ah for Gordon and Lange to run on.
00:10:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's just go three up like we did 28 years ago today when Tino scored his lovely hat-trick.
00:11:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that's what it's got to be. you know and We've got to use the whole of the bench and we'll have a strong bench because You know, we can bring on Willock and Miley in midfield. We've got Chow and Botman in defence.
00:11:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Even the crazy boy Azula can bring some energy on. ah he He chases everywhere. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to it. It's exciting. And I'm disappointed not to have a ticket for it. But the next best thing is to sit and watch it on the television and not have have the six-hour round trip just to go and watch the match.
00:11:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
There you go. I'm finding a silver lining in every cloud. Let's have a Zencastr ad and then I'll come back with a bit of a prediction.
Score Prediction and Key Players
00:12:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're mad for part three, and I'm astounded. I'm astounded as somebody who was so, is lazy the right word? i never had I never had the up-to-date version of the Zencastr advert in front of me for so many months that I kept reading the old one.
00:12:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I did sort that out months ago, and just realised that that was the original Zencastr advert wording that somebody here has recorded. It's still a Zencastr advert.
00:12:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Go into the show description. It's super easy to use. Yeah, yeah I mean, advert says everything. It doesn't need me to add anything to it. um Part three, how is going to go?
00:13:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
i think I think this is going to be ah ah crazy game, end to end. um I am encouraged by the fact that we have kept three clean sheets in our four games.
00:13:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
And in fact, although Liverpool did score three against us, They had an XG of 0.6. So there were shots from outside the box that were just really, really well placed. I think they both went in off the post from memory.
00:13:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So I'm hoping that that defensive solidity will restrict Barcelona to maybe a shot or two. And even if they score them both, I'm hoping that our speed and our potency in the transition, with a huge X factor of what Nick Valtamada can do when we play him as this laid-back number nine, false number nine, in the number 10 role.
00:14:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
and I think that's the secret weapon. I do. Hansi Flick, when asked about him, was a little bit dismissive and said, well, you know, I used to work in Germany.
00:14:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'd never heard of him this time last year. Fair enough. Hopefully he's going to have heard of him by the end of tomorrow night. Because he's going to have laid two or three goals on a plate. and This is what my prediction is going to be.
00:14:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's going to be Newcastle three.
00:14:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
All on the transition. um Barcelona one. And it's not me just picking 3-1 because that's what I always pick. I do think we'll beat them 3-1.
00:14:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nick Pope will have a very, very good game. What do you think?
Listener Interaction and Future Content
00:14:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let us know. Put your predictions down. You've got all day once you listen to this before the kickoff. Get your predictions down in in the comments.
00:14:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Please remember to like and subscribe. ah Always interested in interacting with you. So if you've got any points you'd like to make, please put it down on your comments on YouTube or Spotify or wherever else you're hearing this from.
00:15:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
My name is Benio Mackay. Thank you very much for listening to my very short preview. podcast. Apologies from the myself and the rest of the team that it is only me. um But I do think we we rode into this game having already done two full podcasts on it.
00:15:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
So this little workman one-like, workman-like one is enough. We certainly will be around after the game tomorrow to give you an immediately after the game match reaction.
00:15:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because I think it's just Joanne and Kevin who are actually there. Nicola remains in New York, so probably me and Michael, I guess, will talk about what we've watched on the telly. We'll see you there.