Champions League Matchday 4: Newcastle vs Athletic Club facts
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Article summary
Previous meetings, club facts and key stats ahead of the UEFA Champions League Matchday 4 game.
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Newcastle United and Athletic Club will both be out to continue their UEFA Champions League improvements when they meet at St James' Park on Matchday 4.
Last match
The teams' only previous matches came in the 1994/95 UEFA Cup second round, Newcastle winning 3-2 at home only for Athletic to progress on away goals thanks to a 1-0 win in Bilbao.
Newcastle have lost six of their last nine games against Spanish teams (W3), going down 1-2 at home to Barcelona on Matchday 1 to make it three defeats in the last four.
Athletic's 0-2 home defeat by Arsenal on Matchday 1 made it three successive defeats, and nine goals conceded, against Premier League opponents.
A 3-2 victory at Manchester United in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League round of 16 first leg (5-3 aggregate) is Athletic's only win away to English opposition (D1 L7).
This is Newcastle's fourth campaign in the Champions League proper, although only their second since 2002/03.
Eddie Howe's side were fourth in their section behind Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan two seasons ago (W1 D2 L3), their sole win a 4-1 home success against the French club on Matchday 2.
Athletic are in the Champions League proper for the first time since 2014/15; their only other appearance came in 1998/99.
European Cup quarter-finalists on debut in 1956/57, the Basque side have won only three of their 14 matches in the Champions League proper (D4 L7).
Key stats
Newcastle have won their last two matches without conceding a goal, beating Benfica 3-0 on Tyneside on Matchday 3; they have won three successive Champions League games only once, in the 2002/03 first group stage.
The Magpies have lost only four of their last 33 home European games (W22 D7).
Anthony Gordon's Matchday 3 strike made him the first Newcastle player to score in three successive Champions League appearances, Matchday 1 to final.
Athletic ended a run of four successive European defeats – a club first – with a 3-1 win at home to Qarabağ on Matchday 3.
The Spanish side have not won in five European away games (D1 L4) and have managed a single victory in their seven away matches in the Champions League proper (D1 L5).
Athletic have won ten of their last 14 European group stage/league phase fixtures (D1 L3).