Newcastle take on the visitors Athletic Bilbao in the round 4 match of UEFA Champions League – League Phase. The match will be played on Wednesday, November 5th at St. James' Park (Newcastle).
Newcastle are trying to build momentum — and it’s finally starting to work. The Magpies, under Eddie’s guidance, have managed to produce some solid, though inconsistent, results. Last season was particularly impressive — they lifted their first trophy in years by winning the League Cup, and then finished fifth in the Premier League after a tough race, securing a return to the Champions League. Their new European campaign began amid a shaky domestic start, losing 1-2 at home to Barcelona after conceding twice to Rashford. But since then, the English side have shown clear progress, earning two convincing victories — a 4-0 thrashing of debutants Royale Union in Belgium and a dominant 3-0 win against a highly motivated Benfica. The team’s home form remains one of their biggest strengths, and they’ve started to find the attacking fluency that made them so dangerous last season. Their defensive organization has also improved, allowing them to control games more confidently.
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Athletic Bilbao brought Ernesto Valverde back to Bilbao, and his return paid off — not instantly, but with steady success over time. In 2024, he led them to a historic Copa del Rey triumph — their first in 40 years — and last season they reached the Europa League semifinals while also finishing fourth in La Liga. That consistency earned them a Champions League spot, but this campaign has been much rougher. After an encouraging start with three league wins in August, their form dipped significantly. In Europe, things went even worse: they were convincingly beaten by Arsenal (0-2) at home and Borussia Dortmund (1-4) away, before barely turning things around with a 3-1 comeback win against Qarabag. Athletic’s attacking creativity has struggled to click lately, and their defensive lapses have been costly against top opposition. Still, their ability to fight back shows the team’s resilience, even in difficult moments.
The clubs last met in 1994 in the UEFA Cup, exchanging narrow wins — 3-2 at St James’ Park and 1-0 in Bilbao. The Magpies seem to be hitting form again, especially at home. They should be able to claim a confident victory here — Newcastle (-1.0 Asian handicap) looks like the right call.
Prediction for the match: Newcastle to win with -1.0 handicap.
