Newcastle United will soon discover their Champions League opponents, as European nights return to St James’ Park.
The 2023/24 Champions League campaign was special, despite it ending in heartbreaking fashion for Newcastle United.
Eddie Howe’s side went toe-to-toe with some elite sides, with Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan all heading to Tyneside.
This campaign will be slightly different, as the Champions League format has changed. The Magpies will face eight different teams, with four games at St James’ Park and four away from home.
They will play against two teams from each pot, with Newcastle United in pot four.
FC Kairat players applaud their fans after facing Celtic in a Champions League qualifier.
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Newcastle United will not want to face FC Kairat in the Champions League
The new Champions League format should result in Newcastle being given a kinder draw compared to last time, but that does not tell the whole story.
While they will play against two teams in pot four, there is one fixture they will be incredibly keen to avoid.
Kazakhstani side FC Kairat have qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history. They beat Celtic on penalties on Tuesday night to book their place and will be a dreaded away day for a lot of teams, including Newcastle United.
MORE NEWCASTLE STORIES
FC Kairat play at Central Stadium in Almaty, which is a 4,540 mile drive from St James’ Park. A direct flight from London to Almaty takes more than eight hours.
An arduous away day like that is one that Newcastle United will want to avoid sandwiched in between two Premier League fixtures. It is hard enough playing domestically immediately after a European away game, let alone one that has seen you travel almost all the way to China.
How Newcastle United performed away from home in the 2023/24 Champions League
Newcastle did not win any of their three away games during their previous Champions League campaign.
They secured draws with AC Milan and PSG, but were beaten on the road by Borussia Dortmund. Famously, the PSG game would have been a win had it not been for a scandalous penalty decision against Tino Livramento in stoppage time.
The Magpies took on three elite sides last time, home and away. While the away games were tough, the locations were not a challenge.
It could be different for Newcastle this time, with the prospect of heading to places like Kazakhstan or Azerbaijan. Only one of those outcomes is possible, with Azerbaijani side Qarabag also in pot four alongside Newcastle and FC Kairat.