Key events
Atalanta v Bayern Munich team news
Harry Kane is only fit enough for the bench because of acalf injury, so Nicolas Jackson starts in attack for Bayern.
Atalanta (4-2-3-1) Carnesecchi; Zappacosta, Hien, Kolasinac, Bernasconi; De Roon, Pasalic; Sulemana, Krstovic, Zalewski; Scamacca.
Subs: Rossi, Sportiello, Kossounou, Bakker, Musah, Samardzic, Bellanova, Djimsiti, Vavassori, Ahanor, Cassa.
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1) Urbig; Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Stanisic; Kimmich, Pavlovic; Olise, Gnabry, Diaz; Jackson.
Subs: Ulreich, Prescott, Kim, Goretzka, Kane, Musiala, Davies, Bischof, Guerreiro, Karl.
Referee Espen Eskas (Norway)
Newcastle v Barcelona team news
An interesting call from Newcatle manager Eddie Howe: Will Osula is preferred up front to Nick Woltemade, Yoane Wissa and Anthony Gordon, who are all on the bench. There are three changes to the side that lost against Manchester City in the FA Cup: Joelinton, Jacob Ramsey and Dan Burn replace Woltemade, Joe Willock and Sven Botman.
Marcus Rashford, who scored twice when Barcelona won at St James’ Park in the league phase, starts on the bench.
Newcastle (4-3-3) Ramsdale; Trippier, Thiaw, Burn, Hall; Ramsey, Tonali, Joelinton; Elanga, Osula, Barnes.
Subs: Ruddy, Harris, Botman, Livramento, Jacob Murphy, Willock, Alex Murphy, Neave, Pope, Wissa, Woltemade, Gordon.
Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia; Joao Cancelo, Araujo, Cubarsi, Gerard; Gonzalez, Bernal; Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha; Lewandowski.
Subs: Kochen, Gavi, Rashford, Bardghji, Cortes, Espart, Marques, Szczesny, Casado, Eric Garcia, Torres, Olmo.
Referee Marco Guida (Italy)
Atletico Madrid v Spurs team news
Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario has been dropped, with Antonin Kinsky replaces him. Cristian Romero, who has been suspended domestically, returns in defence. Djed Spence and Richarlison also come into the team for Joao Palhinha, Souza and Dominic Solanke.
Julian Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann return for Atleti after missing the 3-2 win over Real Sociedad at the weekend.
Atletico Madrid (4-4-2) Oblak; Pubill, Le Normand, Hancko, Ruggeri;
Simeone, Llorente, Johnny, Lookman; Alvarez, Griezmann.
Subs: Musso, Gimenez, Koke, Barrios, Sorloth, Baena, Almada, Lenglet, Molina, Vargas, Gonzalez, Diaz.
Tottenham Hotspur (3-4-3) Kinsky; Romero, Danso, Van de Ven; Porro, Sarr, Gray, Spence; Muani, Richarlison, Tel.
Subs: Vicario, Austin, Dragusin, Joao Palhinha, Simons, Solanke, Gallagher, Olusesi, Rowswell.
Referee Serdar Gozubuyuk (Netherlands)
Louise Taylor
Newcastle v Barcelona preview
For Eddie Howe it was quite a statement. “Barcelona is the biggest game in this club’s history,” said Newcastle’s manager. “It’s massive.”
Given Howe usually seems allergic to exaggeration it was a surprising way to approach Tuesday night’s Champions League last 16 first leg with Hansi Flick’s side.
Admittedly, Newcastle have never gone this deep into Europe’s showpiece competition before but their past contains a big enough share of cup finals and title tilts to make that assertion somewhat arguable. Not that a Barcelona team made to work hard for a 2-1 win at St James’ Park in the competition’s league phase in September are treating their return to Tyneside lightly.
Sid Lowe
Atletico Madrid v Spurs preview
Tottenham’s interim head coach, Igor Tudor, called tonight’s Champions League last-16 first leg at Atlético Madrid a “beautiful game”, but admitted it was not the priority as they battle against relegation from the Premier League.
Spurs finished fourth in the league phase, earning them direct qualification for the last 16 and a return to the stadium where they played in the final less than seven years ago. But a run of 11 matches without a win has left them one point above the Premier League relegation zone and Tudor under pressure just three weeks after taking over. He admitted: “Our first aim is the Premier League, this needs to be said publicly.”
Galatasaray are leading Liverpool in the first Champions League of the night. Scott Murray has the latest.
Will Unwin
Groundhog Day!
After eight months and 252 games, Bigger Cup has finally reached the bare-knuckle stage of this bizarrely elongated competition. We get the thrilling spectacle of three repeat fixtures from the league phase, thanks to the suits wanting to make this the most thrilling and profitable product possible. The world demands more Galatasaray v Liverpool, extra Kieran Trippier v Lamine Yamal and plenty of Pep Guardiola against whichever former Anfield stalwart is in the Real Madrid dugout this week. It is very much Groundhog Day for the TikTok generation, with Uefa desperately hoping that short attention spans mean everyone has already forgotten these earlier matchups.
Preamble
For the last 20 years, scholars and halfwits alike have volubly considered the same burning question: is La Liga or the Premier League the best in the world? Spanish and English clubs have dominated European football (and therefore world football) in that time, and you can make a decent case for the overall superiority of either.
In the Swiss model years™ of the Champions League years, eight English teams have qualified automatically for the knockout stage to Spain’s three, including five this season. Premier League teams have also won more Champions Leagues (3-2) than La Liga if you take the convenient cut-off point of the 2018-19 season. Go back further and it’s almost all Spain. Half of the last 20 Champions Leagues have been won by Real Madrid or Barcelona, five by English teams.
This eternal debate is a choose-your-own-evidence adventure. Some oddballs even cite the Uefa coefficient, which has Italy in second place ahead of Spain. The last 16 of this season’s ChampionsLeague will provide a bit more evidence: there are three Anglo-Spanish ties, two of which kick off tonight.
Newcastle host Barcelona in a repeat of the repeat of Tino Asprilla’s glory night in 1997. And Tottenham Hotspur – who, if you’re into the whole league table thing, are the fourth-best team in Europe and the 16th-best in England, visit Atletico Madrid. We’ll also keep what remains of our eyes on Atalanta v Bayern Munich.
In case you scanned the above without taking any of it in, these areREDRUM tonight’s games.
Kick offs 8pm.
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