**Newcastle United take on Wolverhampton Wanderers at St James' Park this afternoon in a 3 pm kick-off, and as soon as that full-time whistle blows, attention will turn to Thursday night when Barcelona head to Newcastle for a Champions League tie.**
Fans of a certain age will have had goosebumps when that tie was drawn, harking back to 1997 and Tino Asprilla's hat-trick at St James' Park that secured a 3-2 win over the Spanish giants.
It remains one of Newcastle's Champions League highlights, along with the 4-1 demolition of Paris Saint-Germain two years ago.
It's not just Newcastle fans who are excited for Thursday's clash, it seems, as TNT Sports commentary team Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist have been discussing the game on TNT Sports' YouTube channel.
Darren Fletcher and Ally McCois are excited already
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Fletcher admitted that the hairs on the back of his neck stood up when the draw was made, while McCoist says the atmosphere will be 'phenomenal'.
> **Fletcher**: “When the draw happened and I saw Newcastle vs Barcelona at St James’ Park, that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.”
> **McCoist**: “Brilliant, wasn’t it? Asprilla comes straight into your head.”
> **Fletcher**: “It took me back to the game against PSG at St James’ Park that we did the last time. The atmosphere that night – the flags, the game, everything that went into it. Of all the games that I’ve seen up to now, the one I am looking forward to the most in the league phase is that one.”
> **McCoist**: “That place is electric at the best of times. But Champions League night, it’s just phenomenal.”
The St James' Park atmosphere will play a huge part on Thursday
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Unfortunately, games aren't won on atmosphere, but they certainly help. Just ask PSG.
Even with a game this afternoon, the Barca butterflies have already started ahead of Thursday.
A convincing win over Wolves today would certainly set everything up nicely, though. HOWAY THE LADS.