Newcastle United did not see the game out well enough against Barcelona - but two big decisions from the bench hardly helped their cause
Eddie Howe, speaks to William Osula
Eddie Howe speaks to William Osula
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Newcastle United are now very much the underdogs to get through to the Champions League quarter-finals after a score draw in the Champions League last 16 first leg against Barcelona.
It was always going to be a cautious night on Tyneside as Hansi Flick's team arrived as an all-conquering Spanish unit who swept home with three domestic trophies last term. Their European pedigree is not bad either after reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League last spring and losing to Inter Milan 7-6 on aggregate.
But their performance was criticised by the likes of Marca and La Vanguardia, the well-read Spanish publications, with Barca labelled "exhausted" and "lacklustre". Therefore was this not a chance wasted for Newcastle?
If this was Newcastle close to their best and Barca at their worst, what does that suggest for the second leg?
Certainly, Barca coach Hansi Flick noticed his team were not where they should be and hastily cancelled training for his side today, with the Catalan side returning to work on Thursday. Things could have been different had Newcastle not been wasteful in the first hour or so with a host of openings.
At one stage, Barca seemed there for the taking, but there was controversy too as Italian referee Marco Guida failed to book Lamine Yamal or Fermin Lopez, swerving some big calls. The loss of Yamal in the second leg could have proved decisive, but these are the perils of European football. Newcastle must learn to overcome them if they are to lift a UEFA trophy.
Speaking on the decisions of Guida, Eddie Howe said to beIN Sports: "Over the 90 minutes, yes of course. From a Newcastle perspective, we were on the wrong end of some 50-50 calls. But I don't really want to focus on that."
Howe took off goalscorer Harvey Barnes as the game drifted into added time, but this would end up adding extra time on top of the injury time for Guida - arguably leading to the penalty award at the death.
TV images of subbed skipper Kieran Trippier urging his team-mates to calm down and take the sting out of the game were there for all to see from the dugout. But as Newcastle stood over a free-kick in the 92nd minute, Howe emerged from the dugout to encourage Dan Burn to venture forward with the desire from the management to go and grab a second goal.
Rather than settling for 1-0, the pursuit for a second goal went on, but things became fractured, and substitute Joe Willock conceded a free-kick when fouling Yamal. In commentary on Prime Video, Alan Shearer warned: "Newcastle don't need this, they need to settle down and take that goal lead to Barcelona."
But then Anthony Gordon's rushed pass over the top for an exhausted Sandro Tonali was gathered by Joan Garcia. With Tonali completely spent in terms of energy, he was never going to get there.
As the game edged past the 94th minute, when the game would have been over had Newcastle not made the Barnes for Willock change, Barca built one last attack.
All Newcastle had to do in the remaining seconds was stand up Dani Olmo, but Malick Thiaw dived in, and Guida pointed to the spot. Yamal scored, and the ref then blew up for the end of the night.
So often Newcastle have been criticised for game management this season, but losing the slender lead in the first leg could prove to be very costly and perhaps end the European run. If Newcastle fail to get into Europe this season, it could be the last bit of continental competition at St James' Park for a while.
After experiencing a learning curve in the 2023/24 season, are Newcastle learning their lessons in Europe?
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