Newcastle United set for extraordinary backing in friendly

The club will take on the La Liga club at St James’s Park on July 30 – a day after playing Atalanta at home. Eddie Howe will split his first-team squad between the two games.

Newcastle initially only put tickets, priced £20 for adults and £10 for concessions, in the stadium’s lower bowl on sale for both fixtures. However, these have all sold out for the Bilbao fixture, and the club have opened up blocks in the upper tier of the Milburn Stand.

The fixture will bring back memories of a UEFA Cup second-round meeting between the two sides in the 1994/95 season.

Kevin Keegan’s side went out on the away goals rule after drawing 3-3 over two legs. United had led the first leg 3-0 thanks to goals from Ruel Fox, Peter Beardsley and Andy Cole, but Bilbao pulled two goals back on the night – and won the away leg 1-0.