Newcastle United's Harvey Barnes (centre) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game with team-mates during the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen, first leg match at St James' Park, Newcastle. Picture date: Tuesday March 10, 2026.
Harvey Barnes celebrates his side's goal in the first leg against Barcelona at St James' Park.
Newcastle United's Champions League first leg hero Harvey Barnes was surrounded by journalists and camera crews in the mixed zone at St James' Park last week.
He discussed his goal in the one-all draw and assessed his team's chances in the return leg in Barcelona. He was asked whether the Magpies actually believed they could go to the Camp Nou and win the tie.
"Why not?" was his reply.
Why not indeed? Let's try and answer that question. Why can't Eddie Howe's team actually pull this off?
The answer the majority of the football world would give you is something along the lines of "because they're Barcelona and you're Newcastle United". Because they've got Lamine Yamal and Pedri and half a dozen genuine A-Listers and because they're just bigger, better, shinier and sexier than the boys in Black and White.
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal scored for Barcelona from the penalty spot in the closing minutes of the game. Credit: PA
The majority might well be right. If both teams play as well as they can, Barcelona will probably win. But is there a little too much acceptance of this status quo? A bit too much "Barcelona will get through because Barcelona always gets through"?
Certainly that's what UEFA expects and wants. They want the big beasts of European Football lining up in the Champions League quarter-finals and beyond.
But Eddie Howe's Newcastle are disruptors. They are inconsistent disruptors, for sure, but on any given day they can beat any given team. They are dangerous in this scenario.
Don't Newcastle United's strength's prey on Barcelona's weaknesses? At least a little bit?
The Magpies will be fast, aggressive, belligerent and make life physically hard for their opponents. Barcelona will defend with a high line and will have complete confidence they can play their way around any press and find a way out of any difficult situation. They will take risks. There are possibilities there for Eddie Howe and his team.
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Think of the first leg and how well Newcastle played. How they knocked Barcelona completely out of rhythm. Think of how Newcastle played in their win at Chelsea on Saturday night.
Fast, streetwise and defensively resolute in the face of a bunch of moody creative types. That's the blueprint for Barcelona right there.
But look, it won't be easy. Barca's high-end talent is just better than Newcastle's. Barcelona have home advantage, and the new look Spotify Camp Nou is a pretty big home advantage.
That last gasp equaliser in the first leg was a serious gut punch for the Magpies. If they brought a first leg lead to the Camp Nou, you could definitely see them finishing the job. Going there on level terms? It's a long shot.
But a year ago this week Eddie Howe's team won a cup final they weren't supposed to win. Knocking Barcelona out of the Champions League wouldn't resonate throughout Tyneside history as much as that Carabao Cup victory, but it would arguably be a bigger football achievement.
But can they really do it? Really?
As Harvey says, "Why not?"
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