UEFA Champions League: Newcastle or PSG... Which is the best draw for FC Barcelona?

All eyes will be on the UEFA Champions League draw this Friday, February 27 at 11 a.m. GMT, as FC Barcelona learn whether they will face Newcastle United or Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16. After finishing fifth in the league phase with 16 points (five wins, one draw, two defeats), the Blaugrana bypassed the play-off round and now await a single name from the pot.

The two possible opponents present contrasting prospects. A meeting with PSG would revive a modern European rivalry: the clubs have faced off 16 times, splitting six wins apiece and sharing four draws. Their most recent encounter came earlier this season in the group stage, when the Parisians left Spain with a 1-2 victory. The French side also arrive as reigning European champions, adding another layer of difficulty to any tie against them.

Newcastle, on the other hand, offer a more encouraging historical record for the Catalans. Barcelona edged the Magpies 1-2 in England during this season’s league phase and have won four of the five competitive fixtures between the sides since their first meeting in the 1997-98 campaign, losing only once.

With Hansi Flick’s squad aiming to advance to the quarter-finals, the numbers suggest that drawing Newcastle would give FC Barcelona a statistically smoother path through the knockout stage, avoiding the star-studded threat posed by PSG.