Newcastle United are back in the Champions League, and they are here to compete.
This is Eddie Howe’s second European adventure with the Magpies, having competed in the 2023/24 Champions League. That ended in disappointment, with his side finishing bottom of the ‘group of death’.
The 2025/26 competition should be different, with Newcastle competing in the new Champions League format for the first time.
They will play against eight different clubs as part of a 36-team league, facing four teams at home and four teams away. There are some great away days for the Toon Army, as the travelling Newcastle United fans prepare to support the club overseas.
Newcastle United fans cheer on their team away from home against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Newcastle United poke fun at Bayer Leverkusen ahead of Champions League trip
The Champions League draw has put Newcastle up against Union Saint-Gilloise, Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen and Paris Saint-Germain away from home.
Eddie Howe’s men have got their passports at the ready, and the club’s social media team have released a hilarious video ahead of the start of Newcastle’s latest Champions League adventure.
They have produced a retro travel agent advert, encouraging supporters to join Club 18-92 for the ‘best trip you’ll ever go on’.
The video includes Newcastle United players Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Dan Burn, with the latter excitedly stating that Club 18-92 will be travelling to ‘glamorous destinations’ like Paris, Brussels and Marseille.
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However, that excitement disappears when Burn gets to Leverkusen, which is not known as a tourist destination. Instead, Leverkusen is a major industrial hub, boasting multiple chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers.
The Magpies have taken the opportunity to poke fun at their German opponents, and do not be surprised if they hit back with some banter of their own ahead of the game at the BayArena on 10th December.
How did Newcastle United perform away from home in their last Champions League campaign?
Some will fear that Newcastle United have set themselves up for a fall when they travel to Leverkusen in December. Howe will hope that is not the case, as he aims to improve his side’s fortunes away from home in Europe.
During the 2023/24 Champions League campaign, Newcastle did not win any of their three away games. They drew with AC Milan and PSG, with a defeat in Germany to Borussia Dortmund sandwiched in between.
In truth, the Magpies should have won one game. They were moments away from victory in Paris, only for a dreadful VAR decision against Tino Livramento allowing Kylian Mbappe to steal an equaliser for PSG.
The last time Newcastle United won away from home in the Champions League was, ironically, against Bayer Leverkusen in February 2003. Sir Bobby Robson’s side won 3-1.