TOPSHOT - Barcelona's Spanish forward #10 Lamine Yamal (L) celebrates scoring the team's first goal during the UEFA Champion's League, round of 16 football match between Newcastle United and FC Barcelona at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on March 10, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)placeholder image
TOPSHOT - Barcelona's Spanish forward #10 Lamine Yamal (L) celebrates scoring the team's first goal during the UEFA Champion's League, round of 16 football match between Newcastle United and FC Barcelona at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on March 10, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
Spanish media deliver brutal Newcastle United verdict after drawing 1-1 draw with Barcelona in their Champions League last-16 first-leg tie.
While the English media rightly heaped praise on Newcastle United for their performance against Barcelona, the Spanish press were far less complimentary.
It took until the last kick of the game for Barca to breach the Magpies’ defence as Lamine Yamal rescued a draw from the penalty spot.
Yamal barely had a kick in the game due to the extraordinary efforts of Lewis Hall, but managed to have the final say as he stepped up to send goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale the wrong way.
The tie remains level heading into next Wednesday’s second leg at the Camp Nou.
Spanish media deliver brutal Newcastle United verdict
Speaking after the game, Howe provided a verdict many were in agreement with.
“I think really good performance from the team,” Howe said. “Very, very good in all phases really. I thought we limited them with a really good defensive performance from the team and I thought we attacked really well too.
“Although we didn't create an abundance of clear-cut chances, I thought there were chances all through the game for us. Great to see us finally score and then, yeah, I mean, the last attack of the game, the last kick of the game. That's a tough one to take.”
But the Spanish media have delivered a far more brutal take, with AS Diario claiming Barcelona would have lost had they come up against a “higher-calibre” or more “formidable” team.
They wrote: “Had the match been against a higher-calibre opponent than Newcastle, who aren't exactly a formidable team, Flick's side would have suffered a serious defeat. But Newcastle are only so good, and even so, they deserved more than Barca. “
Meanwhile, Mundo Deportivo wrote that Newcastle “exposed their enormous footballing limitations”.
“The faces of desolation on the Newcastle fans' faces at St. James' Park in the 96th minute showed that they are practically out of the competition,” journalist Xavier Bosch said. “That said, they will come en masse to Barcelona, with or without tickets, to try and pull off a miracle.
“English football was dealt a heavy blow in the Champions League last night on a particularly cruel matchday. Liverpool were pitiful against Galatasaray and made things difficult for themselves (1-0), Tottenham were thrashed five-a-side at the Metropolitano (5-2), and Newcastle exposed their enormous footballing limitations.
“We assume that today Manchester City will prove to the world that the Premier League is still the best league competition in the world.”
Lewis Hall praised after nullifying Lamine Yamal
The Spanish media did at least single out Hall for praise, who, as mentioned, kept their star player quiet.
Marca wrote:”What a fantastic match the young English left-back played! He gave the Barcelona winger no respite. He never lost sight of him, stifled him in one-on-one situations, stopped his runs forward, prevented his crosses... he was more than his shadow.
“The international was a constant nuisance and masterfully shut down the Barcelona player. Lamine kept trying, he was Barça 's most dangerous player , but he became frustrated and even risked a yellow card (he was already on one) with a foul on Hall after losing possession (the world turned upside down!), a result of his own frustration at not being able to play his game and get past the English defender.”
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