Newcastle United vs Athletic Club Preview

Newcastle United host Athletic Club at St. James’ Park on Wednesday evening for a crucial Champions League league phase encounter between two sides seeking momentum. The Magpies have recorded three victories from their last five matches across all competitions, though their form has been somewhat inconsistent. Their most recent outing ended in a 3-1 away defeat at West Ham United in the Premier League, but before that they had strung together an impressive run. They secured a 2-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup, followed by a 2-1 home victory against Fulham and a commanding 3-0 home triumph over Benfica in the Champions League. However, they also suffered a 2-1 away loss at Brighton & Hove Albion earlier in this sequence. This mixed bag of results suggests a team capable of excellence at home but vulnerable on the road.

The visitors arrive on Tyneside in equally patchy form, having won two, lost two and drawn one of their last five fixtures. Athletic Club have endured back-to-back defeats in their most recent outings, losing 3-2 away at Real Sociedad and 1-0 at home to Getafe, both in La Liga action. Before this disappointing double, they had shown glimpses of quality with a 3-1 home victory over FK Qarabag in the Champions League and a 2-1 home win against Mallorca. They also played out a 0-0 draw away at Elche. This inconsistent run will concern the Spanish side as they prepare to face a Newcastle team that has been formidable at home, particularly in European competition where they’ve shown their attacking capabilities.

The head-to-head record between these two clubs is extremely limited, with only one previous meeting on record. Newcastle United secured a 2-1 home victory in a pre-season friendly back in July 2022. While this single encounter offers minimal insight into how the competitive fixture might unfold, it does at least give the Magpies a psychological edge knowing they’ve beaten the Basque side before at St. James’ Park. Both teams will be looking to establish dominance in what is essentially new territory for this fixture pairing, with Athletic Club eager to prove that pre-season result means little in a competitive Champions League environment.

Football supporters around the globe can tune in to witness this Champions League clash. In Great Britain and Ireland, viewers can watch on discovery+, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports 2. German fans have access through DAZN Germany and Amazon Prime Video. Spanish audiences are served by Movistar+ platforms, while Italian supporters can follow the action on SKY Go Italia and Sky Sport 255. American viewers can catch the match on Paramount+, DAZN USA and Amazon Prime Video. The fixture kicks off at 20:00 GMT, promising an intriguing European evening in the North East of England.

Injured Players:

Newcastle: Yoane Wissa (Out), Tino Livramento (Out), Lewis Hall (Out)

Athletic Club: Unai Egiluz (Out), Beñat Prados (Out)

Newcastle will be without winger Yoane Wissa and full-backs Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall, limiting their defensive options for this Europa League fixture. Athletic Club are missing midfielder Unai Egiluz and Beñat Prados, reducing their midfield depth for this challenging away trip to St. James’ Park.

Possible line-ups:

Newcastle (4-3-3)

Pope, Thiaw, Botman, Miley, Woltemade, Guimarães, Murphy, Burn, Ramsey, Gordon, Trippier

Athletic Club (4-2-3-1)

Simón, Rego, Paredes, Jauregizar, Laporte, Guruzeta, Navarro, Gorosabel, Williams, Williams, Berchiche

Newcastle United Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
L	West Ham United	3-1	Newcastle United	English Premier League	Nov 2, 2025
W	Newcastle United	2-0	Tottenham Hotspur	English Carabao Cup	Oct 29, 2025
W	Newcastle United	2-1	Fulham	English Premier League	Oct 25, 2025
W	Newcastle United	3-0	Benfica	Champions League	Oct 21, 2025
L	Brighton & Hove Albion	2-1	Newcastle United	English Premier League	Oct 18, 2025

Athletic Club Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
L	Real Sociedad	3-2	Athletic Club	Spanish LALIGA	Nov 1, 2025
L	Athletic Club	0-1	Getafe	Spanish LALIGA	Oct 25, 2025
W	Athletic Club	3-1	FK Qarabag	Champions League	Oct 22, 2025
D	Elche	0-0	Athletic Club	Spanish LALIGA	Oct 19, 2025
W	Athletic Club	2-1	Mallorca	Spanish LALIGA	Oct 4, 2025

Head To Head Record

Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
Newcastle United	2-1	Athletic Club	Club Friendly	Jul 30, 2022

TV Listings / Streaming

Country	Broadcaster
Great Britain	discovery+, Amazon Prime Video, TNT Sports 2
Germany	DAZN Germany, Amazon Prime Video
Spain	Movistar+, Movistar Liga de Campeones 2
Italy	SKY Go Italia, Sky Sport 255
France	myCANAL, Canal+ Live 5
USA	Paramount+, DAZN USA, Amazon Prime Video
Portugal	DAZN Portugal
Poland	Canal+