It was exactly 28 years ago today, the final scoreline reading Newcastle 3 Barcelona 2.
A Newcastle eleven showed just what could be done by pulling together – a night of near perfect European football under the floodlights.
It looked as though it would take a miracle to defeat Figo, De La Pena, Sonny Anderson, Sergi, Miguel, Enrique, Rivaldo and the rest.
Well it wasn’t quite a miracle but he was called Tino Asprilla, a hat-trick hero who along with Keith Gillespie, put in his best ever performance for Newcastle United.
Only four months after this hat-trick, Kenny Dalglish sold Tino Asprilla.
This was a great football night never to be forgotten.
Newcastle lined up;
Shay Given
Warren Barton
Philippe Albert
Steve Watson
John Beresford
Keith Gillespie
Robert Lee
David Batty
John Barnes (Temuri Ketsbaia 81 mins)
Jon Dahl Tomasson (Darren Peacock 78 mins)
Tino Asprilla
Newcastle United Team 1997
Interviewed by UEFA about that night, Tino Asprilla talks us through the match. Also, watch the highlights below (First video is match highlights and below is the Tino Asprilla interview).
We chatted to the #NUFC cult hero about that famous night 21 years ago…@NUFC @TinoasprillaH #UCL pic.twitter.com/WkpZchlVpT
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 17, 2018
Watching this provokes many emotions /memories and the great thing now, is that tomorrow night Newcastle United have the opportunity to reproduce this night 28 years ago in the Champions League.
Over to you Eddie Howe!