See how Newcastle fared previously after they clinch Champions League spot

Newcastle have qualified for the Champions League for the third time in their history and the first in 20 years after securing a top-four Premier League finish.

Head coach Eddie Howe has joined an exclusive club alongside Kenny Dalglish, who guided the Magpies side he had inherited from Kevin Keegan into the competition for the first time in 1997, and Sir Bobby Robson, who matched his feat five years later.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at how the club have fared on their previous encounters with Europe’s big boys.

Temuri and Tino

Faustino Asprilla fires Newcastle ahead against Barcelona from the penalty spot
Faustino Asprilla fired Newcastle ahead against Barcelona from the penalty spot (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Dalglish’s men launched their Group C campaign in style when Faustino Asprilla scored a superb hat-trick in a stunning 3-2 victory over Barcelona, with Luis Enrique and Luis Figo on target for the visitors, but things went downhill from there.

A 2-2 draw with Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine was followed by back-to-back defeats at the hands of PSV Eindhoven and Michael Reiziger’s strike at the Nou Camp saw Barca – where Robson had been moved upstairs to make way for Louis Van Gaal – gain revenge before the adventure ended with a 2-0 home win over Dynamo.

Back to Barca

Newcastle celebrate after Andy Griffin beats Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon to secure Champions League victory at St James' Park
Newcastle celebrated after Andy Griffin beat Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to secure a Champions League victory at St James’ Park (John Giles/PA)

Dynamo Kiev ensured they got off to a disappointing start with a 2-0 away defeat and their hopes of emerging from Group E looked to be over when Feyenoord won 1-0 at St James’ Park before two Alessandro Del Piero goals handed Juventus a 2-0 victory in Turin.

However, Andy Griffin fired Robson’s side to victory over the Italians on Tyneside and Shearer’s penalty snatched a 2-1 win against the Ukrainians to set up a memorable night in Rotterdam on which Craig Bellamy struck late to claim a 3-2 win over Feyenoord and send his side through to the second group stage as the first side to make it after losing the first three games.

Dejected Newcastle striker Craig Bellamy leaves the field after being sent off against Inter Milan
Dejected Newcastle striker Craig Bellamy left the field after being sent off against Inter Milan (John Giles/PA)

A 3-1 defeat in Barcelona rubbed salt into the wound and although they beat Leverkusen home and away – with Shearer plundering a hat-trick on Tyneside – and drew 2-2 in Milan, Barca’s 2-0 win at St James’ meant the quarter-finals were beyond them.

The one that got away

Newcastle’s Jonathan Woodgate (on floor) and his team-mates reflect on their penalty shoot-out defeat by Partizan Belgrade
Newcastle’s Jonathan Woodgate (on floor) and his team-mates reflect on their penalty shoot-out defeat by Partizan Belgrade (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Their consolation was a UEFA Cup run which was ended at the semi-final stage by Marseille striker Didier Drogba’s double.

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