Newcastle signal readiness to face Chelsea and Barcelona

Newcastle are the Champions League's top scorers with 26 goals and have won six games in this campaign, securing a place in the knockout stage.

Newcastle are enjoying a strong Champions League campaign and have secured a place in the knockout stage. Eddie Howe's side are the top scorers in the competition with 26 goals and have recorded six wins in a single campaign for the first time. The recent run followed a difficult moment at St James' Park, when Howe said he was not doing his job "well enough" after fans booed following a 3-2 home defeat to Brentford. Players responded by saying they would "fight for the manager," and the team has since won four of their last five matches in all competitions. Key points: - Newcastle are the Champions League's top scorers with 26 goals. - The club has won six games in one Champions League campaign for the first time. - Eddie Howe acknowledged he was "not doing his job well enough" after being booed following a 3-2 defeat to Brentford at St James' Park. - Players said they would "fight for the manager," and Newcastle have won four of their last five matches and secured progression to the knockout stage. - The six group-stage victories came against Qarabag, Benfica, PSV Eindhoven, Athletic Club and Union Saint-Gilloise. - Newcastle drew 1-1 with Paris St-Germain and lost 2-1 to Barcelona earlier in the competition; defender Dan Burn wrote in the match programme that the side can "compete with anybody" on their day. Summary: The goalscoring return and recent string of results have helped Newcastle secure a place in the Champions League knockout stage and demonstrated competitive performances against top opponents. Undetermined at this time.