Solid pre-season tests against Atalanta and Athletic Bilbao could indicate where the Newcastle United squad are at ahead of an unpredictable 2022-23 campaign. A resurgence during the second half of last season saw the Magpies transform from relegation certainties to claim a comfortable mid-table finish.
Eddie Howe’s troops earned a staggering 12 wins in their final 18 outings - despite managing just one from their opening 20 - to propel themselves up the Premier League and cause fan excitement to reach fever pitch ahead of the new campaign. The dramatic turnaround has clouded expectations for next season, with some fans aiming for the top 10 while others are dreaming about clinching a European place 12 months from now.
Pre-season fixtures against respectable continental opposition provide Newcastle with a gauge of how to measure ambitions just weeks before the season kicks off. Atalanta and Athletic Bilbao finished eighth in Serie A and La Liga respectively, with the former playing in the Champions League before eventually reaching the Europa League quarter-finals.
