<h1>A huge week ahead! - Champions League returns, the good/bad vs Burnley and Leverkusen preview</h1><p><br></p><p>Newcastle got the three points against Burnley, but it wasn’t pretty. In this episode, we break down a strangely flat 2–0 home win that felt more like a training session than a Premier League game — and look at how close it came to unraveling at the end.</p><br><p>We discuss:</p><ul><li>Why the Burnley performance felt so lifeless despite the result</li><li>Gordon’s growing confidence, Willock vs. Ramsey, and early signs (good and bad) from Elanga</li><li>Worries over Ramsdale from crosses and Schär’s drop-off</li><li>Where Newcastle sit in the league table after a quietly strong run (10 points from 12)</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Then we turn to Europe:</p><ul><li>Full Bayer Leverkusen preview: form, key threats, and how Newcastle should set up</li><li>What the new Champions League format and current standings mean for NUFC</li><li>Predicted XI, rotation dilemmas before the Derby, and score predictions</li><li><br></li></ul><p>Plus: poll of the week (would you take two draws vs Leverkusen and Sunderland?), Patreon questions on Liverpool’s wobble, centre-back combos, and Botman’s future, and a quick quiz throwback to our last trip to Leverkusen in 2003.</p><h3>--------------</h3><h3>JOIN OUR <a href="https://www.patreon.com/nufcblogcast/membership" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PATREON</a> for so much more</h3><h3>Follow us on Twitter/X <a href="https://x.com/NUFCblogcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@nufcblogcast</a></h3><h3><strong>Please consider giving us a good review if you enjoy what you hear!</strong></h3><h3>See all our episodes here - <a href="https://shows.acast.com/nufcblogcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://shows.acast.com/nufcblogcast</a></h3><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>