Magpies in Europe: United's most memorable matches

Here, we take a look back at some of the club's most memorable nights in Europe...

11th June 1969
Ujpest Dozsa 2 Newcastle United 3 (Newcastle United win 6-2 on aggregate)

Arguably both the club's most famous European night, and also one that marks a date United supporters hope may soon become a little less significant, as this 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup triumph was the last time the Magpies lifted a major trophy.

Joe Harvey's men had seen off the likes of Feyenoord, Sporting Lisbon, Real Zaragoza, Vitoria Setubal and Rangers to make it to what was a two-legged final, where captain Bob Moncur's brace and a Jimmy Scott goal gave Newcastle a commanding lead at St. James'.

First half goals from Ferenc Bene and János Göröcs in the return leg in Budapest set up a nervy encounter for United, but Moncur's strike after the break calmed nerves somewhat before Benny Arentoft smashed home a second to all but guarantee that the trophy would be heading back to Tyneside.

Alan Foggon's late clincher added extra gloss to the scoreline in Hungary, completing a fine win in the process, with skipper Moncur leading his side home to parade the Fairs Cup in front of the Magpies' faithful.

27th August 1997
Croatia Zagreb 2 Newcastle United 2 (Newcastle United win 4-3 on aggregate)

Perhaps not Newcastle's finest hour on the continent, but a joyous win nontheless. Kenny Dalglish's men had led 2-1 from the first leg at St. James' Park, where popular full back John Beresford popped up with two goals to put his side in the driving seat for the trip to Croatia.

This was the Champions League second qualifying round, with a place in the group stage on offer for the winners, and Tino Asprilla's penalty just before the break in Zagreb had given Dalglish's charges a reasonable advantage. But they were pegged back, first by Dario Simic and then by Igor Svitanovic as the contest went to extra time.

That is when Georgian frontman Temuri Ketsbaia stepped forward. United pounced on some hesitancy with one minute to go in the second period of extra time, and Asprilla prodded the ball into the path of his strike partner. Ketsbaia's finish was unerring and confident, sending the United bench wild and booking his club's place in Champions League group stage for the first time ever.

17th September 1997
Newcastle United 3 Barcelona 2

A runners-up spot in the 1995/96 Premier League campaign only secured a UEFA Cup place for Newcastle but, after another second-placed finish in 1996/97, a change of rules rewarded the Magpies with a debut outing in the UEFA Champions League.

After that win over Croatia Zagreb in the second qualifying round, Dalglish's side were drawn against Barcelona, PSV Eindhoven and Dynamo Kiev, with Barça first up at St. James' Park and, despite the likes of Luis Figo, Rivaldo and Luis Enrique in the Catalan giants' ranks, Newcastle roared into a 3-0 lead courtesy of Faustino Asprilla's unforgettable hat-trick.

The charismatic Colombian broke the deadlock from the penalty spot before doubling the hosts' advantage on the half-hour mark, heading home from Keith Gillespie’s inviting cross and then completed his treble after the restart, combining with Gillespie once again to crash home his and United's third goal of the night to the sheer delight of the home crowd.

Goals from Enrique and Figo set up a tense finale but Newcastle held firm against the 1992 European champions for a famous victory on Tyneside.

23rd October 2002
Newcastle United 1 Juventus 0

Following a fourth-placed finish in 2001/02 under Sir Bobby Robson's management, Newcastle breezed past Željezničar during the third qualifying round and were placed in Group E alongside Juventus, Feyenoord and Dynamo Kiev.

United lost their opening three group stage matches but would stun Italian giants Juventus, who would reach the Champions League final that year, with a memorable 1-0 triumph at St. James'.

Newcastle battled bravely against the two-time European Cup winners, which contained the likes of Pavel Nedvêd, who would win the Ballon D’Or the following month, as well as Alessandro Del Piero and Edgar Davids, and took the lead after the hour mark through Andy Griffin as the defender raced into the box before his fierce effort was deflected into the net by future World Cup winning goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

The Magpies suffered nervy moments towards the latter stages as Juventus substitute Marcelo Zalayeta struck the bar but Robson's side secured the win they wanted to keep their hopes  of progression alive.

13th November 2002
Feyenoord 2 Newcastle United 3

After an important 2-1 comeback victory against Dynamo Kiev in their penultimate Group E match, Newcastle travelled to the Netherlands requiring a win against Feyenoord to guarantee their passage into the Champions League second group stage.

The visitors took the lead on the stroke of half-time in Rotterdam following Craig Bellamy's acute finish before Hugo Viana's impressive drive four minutes after the restart extended the Magpies' lead further, but the Dutch outfit netted twice in the space of six minutes through Mariano Bombarda's scrambled effort and Anthony Lurling's powerful finish to draw level.

Newcastle looked like they would have to settle for a place in the UEFA Cup before, in dramatic fashion, Bellamy slid home a late winner, with the Welsh forward reacting quickest to Kieron Dyer's parried shot before firing home from a tight angle as United became the first team to progress from the Champions League group stage despite losing their first three matches.

In the second group phase, the Magpies finished third in Group A on seven points, despite a couple of impressive wins and a famous 2-2 draw with Inter Milan at the San Siro seeing Robson's men heavily backed by the travelling Toon Army in Italy.

11th March 2003
Inter Milan 2 Newcastle United 2

With that win at Feyenoord having taken Robson's side through against all the odds, they found themselves in an uncompromising position in the second group stage, where they would have to face the might of Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen and Inter Milan.

Newcastle's trip to the San Siro came after a 4-1 humbling at the hands of the Italians on matchday one at St. James' Park and a similarly comprehensive defeat to Robson's former club Barcelona, but back-to-back wins over Bayer had raised hopes of another surprise progression from a hugely competitive group.

In the end, of course, it wasn't to be, as a last-day defeat to the Catalan giants ended their involvement in that season's Champions League. But before that, the United faithful were able to enjoy a trip to San Siro, where Newcastle kept alive their hopes of remaining in the competition with a battling draw.

Christian Vieri had put the hosts in front before Alan Shearer turned home an equaliser to the delight of the travelling contingent, who were in terrific voice at one end of the famous old ground. Another Shearer strike four minutes after the break gave United the lead and though Ivan Cordoba's header earned the hosts a point, this was a game that showed the spirit of the side Robson had built - and the club's willingness to go to-to-toe with Europe's best on their own patch.

14th March 2013
Newcastle United 1 Anzhi Makhachkala 0 (Newcastle United win 1-0 on aggregate)

Following Robson's departure and the failure to make the 2003/04 Champions League group stage, United embarked on a UEFA Cup run that took them all the way to the semi-finals, where they were eventually beaten by a Didier Drogba-inspired Marseille side. That run saw them beat PSV Eindhoven over two legs in the semi-final, with Gary Speed's header proving the difference and sending Graeme Souness' side into the last four.

But though United went further in 2003/04, the club's run to the Europa League quarter-finals in 2012/13 is still fondly thought of, with no clearer memory of that season than the round of 16 win over big-spending Russian side Anzhi, who arrived at St. James' Park for the second leg with the likes of Samuel Eto'o and Willian in their side.

The first leg had finished 0-0 and Alan Pardew's men looked set to go the distance on Tyneside, with extra time looming and the score still goalless. But in the depths of stoppage time, Sylvain Marveaux picked out Papiss Cissé with a cross and the Senegalese frontman dispatched his header in front of the Leazes End, sending Magpies supporters into raptures. The joyous scenes continued long into the night.

That victory, just over ten years ago, remains Newcastle United's last win in European competition. Under Eddie Howe in 2023/24, the Magpies will have the chance to triumph on the big stage once more.