Newcastle United Champions League qualifying path opens up for 2025/26 competition | OneFootball

Can Newcastle United qualify for the Champions League this season?

Can Eddie Howe and his squad repeat that 2022/23 season, that got them entry into the top competition?

Newcastle United fans dreaming of more Champions League nights.

Home AND away.

So what are the chances of it becoming reality…

This is how the Premier League table currently looks on Wednesday (19 February 2025) ahead of tonight’s Champions League matches:

Eddie Howe’s side currently finding themselves two points off fifth place.

A huge match at St James’ Park on Sunday, as a home win over Forest would see Newcastle United only three points off third top.

A Champions League qualifying route remains very much open to Newcastle United as things stand.

At the end of last season, an extra place in the Champions League was awarded to the Bundesliga and Serie A, as those countries had the two best overall collective performances from their clubs in European competitions last season.

It was the first time these extra places were awarded, as part of the expanded 36 club ‘Swiss League’ Champions League format.

If though this had been operating previously, then five of the six seasons before 2023/24 would have seen England one of the top two countries overall, in European competitions.

This season’s combined results in European competition for each of the competing leagues?

ESPN report on current position ahead of these Champions League games tonight (Wednesday 19 February 2025) – Which countries in best position to get one of the two bonus places in the 2025/26 Champions League competition:

How does the coefficient table look this season?

1. England, 20.892 – (7/7) 2. Spain, 18.035 – (6/7) 3. Italy, 17.812 – (5/8) 4. Portugal, 15.850 – (4/5) 5. Germany, 15.734 – (5/8) 6. France, 14.357 – (4/7) 7. Belgium, 14.250 – (5/5) 8. Netherlands, 13.666 – (5/6) 9. Greece, 11.062 – (3/4) 10. Sweden, 10.125 – (1/4)

The brackets indicate how many of a league’s original allocation are still active. For instance, 6/7 indicates one of a league’s seven teams has been knocked out.

The Premier League is in a position of incredible strength. Of their seven remaining teams, six are straight through to the round of 16. Only Manchester City are in the playoff round, but they were beaten 3-2 at home by Real Madrid in the first leg.

Added to that, Man United and Tottenham are paired in the Europa League, which means they cannot face each other until the final — thus no prospect of knocking each other out.

It would take an even worse collapse than last season to miss out on one of the extra places.

Spain

Italy and Spain are neck and neck in second and while it might look like they are in direct competition, it’s possible for both to overtake England.

Spain has only lost Girona, but has three teams in the knockout playoffs.

Man City vs. Real Madrid could be a big fixture, and if Los Blancos complete the job on Feb. 19 the Premier League comes a little more into sights.

Real Sociedad won 2-1 away to FC Midtjylland in the UEL, while Real Betis beat Gent 3-0 in the UCoL.

It’s looking very good for Spain to continue with six clubs.

Italy

It’s been a terrible February for Italy.

After losing Bologna in the UCL league phase, AC Milan and Atalanta both failed to make it through the knockout playoff round. Juventus hold a 2-1 lead over PSV going into Wednesday’s second leg.

AS Roma, meanwhile, drew 1-1 with FC Porto in the UEL.

It’s starting to look like it could be over this month of for Italy.’

Conclusions

As the ESPN report outlines, the Premier League/England in such a strong position.

Even if nearest challengers Spain defeat Man City tonight and knock them out of the Champions League, England still clear at the top.

Maybe the most important thing is that the gap between England and third highest Italy is growing, Italy only having five of eight clubs remaining in Europe and that could become four of eight if PSV knock them out tonight.

Sunday 23 February – Newcastle v Forest (2pm) Sky Sports

Wednesday 26 February – Liverpool v Newcastle (8.15pm) TNT Sports

Sunday 2 March –  Newcastle v Brighton (1.45pm) – FA Cup fifth round ITV1

Monday 10 March – West Ham v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports

Saturday 16 March – Newcastle v Liverpool (4.30pm) Carabao Cup final! Sky Sports