Newcastle United

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Newcastle's Champions League draw is complete and Eddie Howe's's side now know which eight clubs they will meet in the 36-team league format, which was used for the first time last season.

The Champions League fixture list with match dates and kick-off times will be published no later than Saturday, 30 August.

The Magpies will face:

• Barcelona (H)

• Paris St-Germain (A)

• Benfica (H)

• Bayer Leverkusen (A)

• PSV Eindhoven (H)

• Marseille (A)

• Athletic Bilbao (H)

• Union Saint-Gilloise (A)

Champions League group phase dates:

Matchday 1: 16–18 September 2025

Matchday 2: 30 September–1 October 2025

Matchday 3: 21-22 October 2025

Matchday 4: 4-5 November 2025

Matchday 5: 2-26 November 2025

Matchday 6: 9-10 December 2025

Matchday 7: 20-21 January 2026

Matchday 8: 28 January 2026

Champions League knockout stage dates:

Knockout phase play-offs: 17-18 and 24-25 February 2026

Round of 16: 10-11 and 17-18 March 2026

Quarter-finals: 7-8 and 14-15 April 2026

Semi-finals: 28-29 April and 5-6 May 2026

Final: 30 May 2026, Budapest

See how the rest of the draw played out

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There are six Premier League teams in this season's Champions League.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham are about to find out who they will face in the league phase of the 2025-26 competition.

Follow it all unfold here

Ciaran Kelly
Football reporter

It is looking increasingly difficult with each passing day.

In truth, trying to replace Callum Wilson has been challenging enough for Newcastle United this summer – let alone signing an additional striker capable of filling Alexander Isak's sizeable boots.

Newcastle have seen top targets like Hugo Ekitike, Benjamin Sesko and Joao Pedro move elsewhere while the club have had offers rejected for Wolves star Jorgen Strand Larsen and Brentford forward Yoane Wissa.

Eddie Howe has always maintained it is about signing the "right" player – when it comes to age, fee, wages and character - but clubs are understandably reluctant to lose key figures so late in the window with little time left to find a replacement.

No wonder Newcastle stated last week that they did not foresee the conditions of Isak's sale being met.

Time will tell if the situation changes, but time is running out.

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We asked for your views on Newcastle's bids for Jorgen Strand Larsen. The Magpies have made two approaches but on BBC Radio Newcastle's Total Sport, one fan questioned if the move was a "panic buy".

Here are some of your comments:

Gareth: £60m is way too much. Why not take a punt on Hojlund or Vlahovic? Half the price and their age is about the same. Could be one to sell on and make more profit on.

Sue: I agree with Anas it would seem like a panic buy.

Les: This would be the ultimate panic buy! He's a goodish player but not a £60m player - £35m or £40m maybe. We don't have much time but need to consider other options. Osula needs to be given more of a chance.

Val: I think we should go for him. He only came on as a sub against West Ham but still scored two goals. We have to think about where we will be if we don't get anyone - and he doesn't have to be a forever signing but we need him now!

Pat: As a Wolves fan, it would be a disaster. I know he wants to leave, but surely the timing isn't right. Back off Newcastle.

Peter: To be honest I think a broom tied to a roller skate would be a decent buy at the moment. We just need players in and are running out of time. Meet the price tag Wolves want and get him in asap.

Russell: If we paid £35/40m I'd say good business but £60m is definitely a panic buy and would show how desperate we actually are. For £60m I'd rather have Wissa.

Rich: Why aren't we signing Jamie Vardy for free on a one-year contract?

Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

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There are a couple of unknowns for the Newcastle United delegation who will travel to Monaco for Thursday evening's Champions League draw.

Firstly, who are the eight teams Newcastle will face in the league phase? Secondly, just who will play up front when Eddie Howe's side take on Europe's elite?

Will Newcastle finally reach a breakthrough and sign a centre-forward after previously having bids rejected for Wolves star Jorgen Strand Larsen and Brentford striker Yoane Wissa?

Will it fall to Anthony Gordon to lead the line as the England international did before he was sent off against Liverpool?

Or will Alexander Isak, somehow, be reintegrated if the 25-year-old does not get his move to the champions in the final days of the window?

It could be another few days before the answers to those questions become clearer, but today's draw brings the need for clarity into sharp focus.

After all, in less than three weeks, Newcastle will get their Champions League campaign under way and the black-and-whites are guaranteed to play two of the following giants from pot one: Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund or Barcelona.

Newcastle, in contrast, will be in pot four alongside newcomers like Pafos and FC Kairat on account of the club's low coefficient.

That was also the case before Howe's team were thrown into the group of death with PSG, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan a couple of years ago.

However, this time around, you suspect the competition's league phase format could suit Newcastle better as they will draw two sides from each of the four pots rather than being paired with a single team from pots one, two, and three like in a previous era.

Newcastle may be without a recognised senior striker right now, but the Magpies are the dark horse in pot four that most sides will still want to avoid. Not least at St James' Park.

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Former Manchester United under 18s coach Adam Lawrence will join Newcastle United as their new Under-21s Lead Coach from 1 September.

Lawrence, 38, guided his team to second in the Premier League North and lost to eventual winners Aston Villa in the FA Youth Cup semi-finals on penalties.

His team also won the Premier League regional and national titles as well as the Premier League Cup in the 2023-24 campaign.

Lawrence said: "It's a real privilege to join Newcastle United and to lead the Under-21s squad at such an exciting time for the Academy.

"I've always believed in creating environments where young players can grow - not just as footballers, but as people - and that is something the Academy does very well."

Lawrence spent eight years at Charlton Athletic's Academy as the club's Head of Coaching and also worked within Millwall's youth system.

At Newcastle he will be assisted by Robbie Stockdale, who has been in interim charge of the Under-21s side since the departure of Diarmuid O'Carroll.

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A £60m deal for Jorgen Strand Larsen would represent a "panic buy".

That's the view of Newcastle United fan Anas as the topic was debated on the latest episode of BBC Radio Newcastle's Total Sport.

The Magpies have already made two bids for the striker, with the second at £55m.

"I appreciate that he is only 25-years-old and he scored twice against West Ham but I wouldn't pay that money. It's a panic buy. It really is," said Newcastle fan Anas.

Last season Larsen also scored 14 goals in 30 Premier League starts on loan at Wolves from Celta Vigo, which convinced the Premier League club to sign him on a permanent basis.

Listen on BBC Sounds

How would you feel about a £60m move for Strand Larsen? Tell us

Newcastle are expected to return with an improved offer of £60m for striker Jorgen Strand Larsen after Wolves turned down bids of £50m and £55m for the 25-year-old Norway striker. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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The draw has been made for the Carabao Cup third round, with 15 Premier League clubs having made it through or entering at this stage.

There are two all-Premier League ties, while holders Newcastle host League One Bradford City.

Ties will take place across two weeks, beginning on 15 and 22 September.

All the fixtures featuring top-flight sides are shown below in the order they were drawn:

• Port Vale v Arsenal

• Swansea City v Nottingham Forest

• Lincoln City v Chelsea

• Tottenham Hotspur v Doncaster Rovers

• Brentford v Aston Villa

• Huddersfield Town v Manchester City

• Liverpool v Southampton

• Newcastle United v Bradford City

• Wolves v Everton

• Crystal Palace v Millwall

• Burnley v Cardiff City

• Barnsley v Brighton

• Fulham v Cambridge United

See the full draw

The draw for the league phase of the 2025-26 Champions League will take place on Thursday in Monaco.

It will start at 17:00 BST and will follow the same procedure as the 2024-25 campaign - the first season where the 36-team league phase format took place.

The draw is made up of 27 teams that qualified via league positions, the winners of last season's Champions League and Europa League, and the seven teams that progressed out of qualifying.

This season, there are six English sides involved - Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle courtesy of finishing in the Premier League top five, and Tottenham after winning the Europa League.

The teams are split into four pots based on their individual Uefa club coefficient ranking.

Starting with pot one, each team will be drawn out individually. They will then be selected eight opponents via Uefa's automated software.

A team will play eight games in total, including two teams from each pot - one home and one away.

No group-stage fixtures can be played against teams from the same country, nor more than two against teams from the another country.

This procedure will continue until the fixtures for all 36 teams have been decided.

The Champions League fixture list with match dates and kick-off times will be published no later than Saturday, 30 August.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

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Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes says he has had no contact with Alexander Isak but that the Magpies "really miss" the striker's quality.

Isak continues to train alone and - having been the subject of a rejected bid by Liverpool - has segregated himself from Eddie Howe's first time.

Guimaraes told ESPN Brasil it was a "tough situation" for the club's players.

"I haven't had any contact with him. We've been training in the mornings, and he trains at a different time, when no-one from the team is around.

"As captain, and for us players, it's a tough situation because we want to have the best players with us. That's something we can't control. The club, the management, the owners are dealing with it, and I hope it gets sorted out in the best way.

"We're really missing our striker, a player who scored more than 20 goals in the Premier League last season, so of course he's someone we feel the absence of.

"We hope to have our best player back. But unfortunately, this is a situation that neither I nor any other player can control."

Newcastle have had two bids for Wolves' Jorgen Strand Larsen turned down and two offers rejected for Brentford's Yoane Wissa as they pursue possible replacements for Isak and the departed Callum Wilson.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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There was always going to be collateral damage from Alexander Isak's stance at Newcastle and Wolves are feeling that now.

As the striker tries to force a move to Liverpool the Magpies are still scrambling in the last few days of the transfer window.

They have been interested in Porto's Samu Aghehowa but have so far balked at the £60m pricetag for a 21-year-old who scored 27 times last season.

A move for Brentford's Yoane Wissa is yet to come off, with the Bees rejecting two bids - the last being £40m for last season's 19-goal forward.

Like the Bees, Wolves have shown resistance in the face of big money after two bids for Jorgen Strand Larsen and they do not want to sell the 25-year-old.

There is little time in the window to replace the Norway international, especially when Wolves are still looking at bringing in other strikers to support Strand Larsen.

He is their most potent weapon and survival is naturally worth more than the current transfer bids, losing him would put Wolves' top flight status in jeopardy.

A return of 14 goals in 30 Premier League starts during a debut season in England on loan from Celta Vigo helped them survive after Vitor Pereira's December arrival.

Yet Newcastle's desperation could see them throw good money after bad, Strand Larsen is a good player but - having joined permanently from Celta £23m this summer - is he £60m+ good?

The question is when do the Magpies decide it is too much or do circumstances dictate they need him whatever the cost?

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BBC Senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel believes Brentford's reported interest in Borussia Dortmund forward Max Beier could "finally unlock" Yoane Wissa's move to Newcastle.

The Magpies have had two bids rejected for Wissa, with the latest worth up to £40m, as they continue to deal with their own wantaway striker Alexander Isak, who is currently refusing to play as he seeks a move to Liverpool.

It was reported in Wednesday's BBC Sport gossip column that the Bees are interested in 22-year-old Germany forward Beier, and Mokbel believes that move could set off a chain reaction.

"You would imagine that from Wissa's perspective and his advisors' perspective that would finally unlock his move," he told the Football Daily podcast.

"They were of the assumption that when Brentford completed the signing of Dango Ouattara he could go, provided that Newcastle made a sufficient bid. Ouattara is in the building, yet Wissa is still hanging on for his move.

"I was chuffed for Keith Andrews to get that first league win. You feared for him because it's his first managerial job, it's the Premier League, and he had a big bump in the road against Forest in their first game of the season.

"It goes to prove that there is life after Thomas Frank, life after Bryan Mbeumo, after Mark Flekken and Christian Norgaard.

"Now they've got that three points over the line, maybe they'll look at Wissa's situation and think 'we can cope without him, let's do a deal' and bring in a player who wants to be there.

"Wissa has made it abundantly clear he wants to go to Newcastle."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge believes Newcastle striker Alexander Isak would be a huge asset for the Reds if they complete his signing.

The Sweden striker found the net 23 times in 34 league games last season.

Sweden striker Alexander Isak, 25, has told Newcastle he still wants to leave for Liverpool despite the intervention of club chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan and a meeting with co-owner Jamie Reuben. (Telegraph - subscription required, external)

Isak's future could determine whether Liverpool and Newcastle make a move for Juventus' 25-year-old Serbia striker Dusan Vlahovic. (Teamtalk, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Charlotte Robson
Fan writer

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What to say about Newcastle v Liverpool? Actually so much! This match had a lot of feelings attached to it already after this summer; the atmosphere pre-game was electric. The rumours were that our ownership had even gone to visit Alexander Isak at his house pre-game.

But that game, to me, couldn't have been less about Alex Isak and I'm glad of that. This game was about a Newcastle United squad that looked truly united. I was convinced by half time the game was over - Anthony Gordon was sent off for a daft studs up tackle and, despite a dominant first half hour, it felt like this was going to be Liverpool's game.

Well, for approximately the second time in my life, I was wrong. Not literally of course because as you know Liverpool won, but in my assessment of our spirit.

No player typified that for me more than Bruno Guimaraes. When you're down to 10 men you need leadership and energy and he brings that by the bucket load. He looked like a player who really believed this game was ours, and that feeling is infectious for both the crowd and his teammates.

And then of course he scored. Watching him celebrate and totally understand what it means to the fans at St James' Park cancels out this summer of discontent, for me. You can see what this all means to him. He cares about the squad, and the manager, and the fans, and the city. That's my captain.

The result didn't go our way this time, but it will this season at various points and for various runs. I can't not believe that after seeing the unity and commitment in this fixture.

Find more from Charlotte Robson at the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast, external

Ciaran Kelly
Football reporter

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Liverpool were certainly clinical at St James' Park on Monday. But Newcastle will still rue not pressing home their advantage with a full complement of players when the game was goalless.

Set-plays were wasted. The hosts were screaming out for a poacher to get on the end of teasing crosses that were gratefully claimed by Alisson. On the one occasion a delivery from Harvey Barnes picked out the head of Anthony Gordon, the forward failed to hit the target.

Digging deeper, Newcastle have had 26 shots in their opening two league games of the season, but Eddie Howe's side have managed just six efforts on target and two goals.

Although William Osula got on the scoresheet on Monday night, the 22-year-old is still developing and has never started a Premier League game for the club.

However, if Newcastle do not reach a breakthrough in the transfer market in the coming days, the Dane could yet line up against Leeds United on Saturday after bids were turned down for Wolves star Jorgen Strand Larsen and Brentford striker Yoane Wissa.

It was certainly not lost on Howe that one of the best strikers in the world is still on Newcastle's books – and how the hosts could have used the Alexander Isak of old.

"The quality of Alex would have made a difference in the two games," Howe said. "I don't think there's any denying that. But, that said, the team has functioned really well.

"The performance of the players and the team in the two games doesn't happen without every part of the team functioning well. You can't carry anyone in this division against any opponent. Yes, we needed to score in that first half when we were on top. Goals change games, but we're just dealing with what we have."

Howe said he was "not party to the talks that were happening" after suggestions that Jamie Reuben, the club's owner, had held face-to-face discussions with Isak, while chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan is also in town.

But, one way or the other, a resolution to this saga is finally imminent, with the window closing on 1 September.

How it is needed.