Date: 23 November 2006
Venue: St James' Park
KO Time: 1945 GMT
Newcastle seek finishing touch
A win at home would send Newcastle United FC into the UEFA Cup knockout stage as they take on RC Celta de Vigo in Group H.
• Newcastle will be sure of qualifying if they win against Celta having won their opening two matches 1-0 at home against Fenerbahçe SK and 1-0 at US Città di Palermo.
• The goal against Palermo was Newcastle's 100th in the UEFA Cup.
• Celta did not play on Matchday 1, opening their account with a 1-1 draw at home against Eintract Frankfurt on Matchday 2.
• Celta's next goal will be their 100th in UEFA club competition.
• The two sides have never met in European competition.
• Newcastle have come up against Spanish opposition ten times in the European Champion Clubs' Cup, UEFA Cup, UEFA Intertoto Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup over the years.
• Newcastle have won four of those matches, losing six. They have never drawn against a Spanish side.
• At home, they have won three games and lost two.
• The most recent of those meetings saw them lose out 4-2 on aggregate against RC Deportivo La Coruña in the 2005 UEFA Intertoto Cup semi-finals, with current Newcastle striker Albert Luque featuring in both legs for the Spanish side.
• Celta have faced English opposition on eight previous occasions in the European Champion Clubs' Cup, UEFA Cup, UEFA Intertoto Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup over the years.
• The most recent of those ties saw them win 3-1 on aggregate against Aston Villa FC in the 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup semi-finals.
• In total, they have won five matches and lost three. They have never drawn against an English side.
• In England, they have won three games and lost one.
• Sides from England and Spain have met 179 times in the European Champion Clubs' Cup, UEFA Cup, UEFA Intertoto Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup over the years.
• Of those matches, the English sides have won 59, with 51 draws and 69 wins for the Spanish sides.
• In England, the home side have won 41 meetings, drawn 24 and lost 20.
• Fenerbahçe play Palermo in Matchday 3's other Group H game.
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TAYLOR SEALS MAGPIES PROGRESS
Local hero Steven Taylor made sure his first Newcastle United goal was a crucial one as he fired the Magpies into the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup.
The 20-year-old central defender had a part to play in Fabian CanobbioÂ’s ninth-minute opener for Celta Vigo but after Antoine Sibierski had cancelled out the UruguayanÂ’s strike with a 36th-minute equaliser - his fourth goal in a black and white shirt and his third in Europe - Taylor powered a header past goalkeeper Esteban Suarez from Albert LuqueÂ’s corner four minutes from time to send Glenn RoederÂ’s men into the last 32.
The victory, coupled with FenerbahceÂ’s 3-0 win over Palermo, means the Magpies head for Eintracht Frankfurt knowing anything they collect there can only improve their finishing position in Group H with a maximum nine points already banked.
It also extends their unbeaten run in cup ties this season to 11 games, and they have not lost in their last four in all competitions.
Roeder was indebted not only to Taylor and bargain buy Sibierski but former England midfielder Nicky Butt, who put in a determined display in central midfield, and Peruvian Nolberto Solano, who was employed as an emergency right-back.
However, for 30 minutes the worry was that it was the Barclays Premiership underachievers who had taken the field.
Perhaps not surprisingly for a team which had a right-winger playing at right-back, a central defender at left-back and no recognised striker on the pitch, the Magpies were disjointed at first and struggled for any kind of coherence.
It took an early setback to spark the home side into life.
Roeder had warned of CeltaÂ’s counter-attacking style but they did not need to hit their hosts on the break in the opening stages as Brazilian striker Baiano, supported by wide men Nene and Angel Lopez, made life intensely difficult.
Indeed, when the visitors took the lead with just nine minutes gone, it was hardly against the run of play.
Taylor headed a seemingly harmless Angel free-kick out of goalkeeper Shay GivenÂ’s hands and when the ball was recycled Canobbio skipped past EmreÂ’s weak challenge and curled a superb left-foot shot past the goalkeeper.
It was not until former Manchester United midfielder Butt began to stamp his authority on the game that the Magpies forced their way into it and they equalised from their second attack of any note, Luque having dragged a shot across the face of goal with just 20 seconds gone.
There were 36 minutes on the clock when James Milner picked up possession wide on the right and flighted a cross towards Sibierski at the far post, and he jumped unopposed to head firmly past Esteban.
Titus Bramble might have put the home side in front on the stroke of half-time but he could not keep his header down from an Emre free-kick.
Newcastle returned knowing a second-half clean sheet would see them through but they were not about to settle for a point.
It took a last-ditch block by full-back Diego Placente to cut out MilnerÂ’s cross after a mazy run into the box.
However, as Baiano in particular kept the home defence on its toes, nothing could be taken for granted.
As time ran down, it was the home side who looked the more likely to snatch victory, substitute Obafemi Martins giving Charles NÂ’Zogbia a run at goal and then seeing his own shot blocked 14 minutes from time.
However, it was defender Taylor who provided the decisive touch, thumping a header past the stranded Esteban from LuqueÂ’s 86th-minute corner before sprinting the length of the St JamesÂ’ pitch in celebration.
you can find empty pockets among the crowd.
i think the fans have lost confidence in the team.