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Newcastle United will face CSKA Moscow in Spain

By Durim Halimi

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: Ciaran Clark of Newcastle United celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on January 12, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: Ciaran Clark of Newcastle United celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on January 12, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) /
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Newcastle United will fly to Spain next week and they will play a friendly match against CSKA Moscow.

The headline may sound like a UEFA Europa League clash, and maybe one day it will be, but Newcastle United and CSKA Moscow will participate in a friendly match on February 16th. The match is set to take place in the early afternoon at the Pinatar Arena, a small soccer stadium in the region of Muricia.

This will be a good test for Newcastle as they prepare for two consecutive matches against direct relegation rivals Huddersfield Town and Burnley after this week-long trip in Spain. The opponents from Russia are enjoying a good season as they are only four points behind league leaders, Zenit, and they are on track to secure their spot in yet another continental competition.

Another Trip to Spain for Newcastle

Newcastle utilized their two-week break from Premier League action this time last year to fly  to Spain where the Magpies played and drew with Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp by a score of 1-1. The trip did the squad good as players stayed fit and active under the warm Spanish sun. In fact, last year’s trip must have been amazing because the Magpies went on to win three straight matches in the Premier League when they returned to England.

Looking at the teams that Newcastle will play after their Spain trip this season, it would not be a shock if the Magpies experienced the same positive fate. This trip should benefit Newcastle and it will improve the team’s bonding, especially with newcomer Miguel Almiron.

What Should We Expect?

Basing my assumption on how Newcastle approached their friendly in Spain last year, this will not be a match that sees Rafa Benitez play his best players for a long period of time. What supporters should expect in this match is to see two different lineups in both halves comprised of regular starters and bench players.

Next. Potential formations for NUFC with Almiron. dark

What everyone should keep an eye on is how well players like Antonio Barreca and Miguel Almiron work with their new teammates. It is a friendly match, but the new arrivals will look to give it their all to show that they were worth the time, effort and money executives put in to bring them on Tyneside. Overall, though, this match will merely serve as an opportunity to keep players conditioned and prepared for league action on February 23rd.

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