Eddie Howe, Manager of Newcastle United, looks dejected during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between FC Barcelona and Newcastle United FC at Camp Nou on March 18, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)placeholder image
Eddie Howe, Manager of Newcastle United, looks dejected during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between FC Barcelona and Newcastle United FC at Camp Nou on March 18, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Newcastle United lost 7-2 against Barcelona to exit the Champions League 8-3 on aggregate.
It proved to be a major turning point as Lamine Yamal converted to give Barca a 3-2 lead on the brink of half-time. The hosts twice took the lead through Raphinha and Marc Bernal, but Elanga twice equalised for the Magpies.
Hansi Flick’s side then romped to victory in the second half as Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski ended the night with braces, while Fermin Lopez was also on the scoresheet.
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Eddie Howe on Barcelona’s penalty
On the awarding of Barca’s penalty, Howe said: “The timing of the goal again, it's such a difficult one for us all to take, but at half-time, as you say, we should be going 2-2 with a great feeling. We're very much in the tie, and anything that's possible could happen from that moment.
“As it is, we're going in a negative feeling. I don't think we defended the build-up well enough.
“In terms of the outcome, is it a clear and obvious error? I had similar feelings to the one at the other end. Maybe it was a bit of a stronger call than our penalty, but it's tough on us for one not to be reversed in that one too.”
Eddie Howe on Newcastle United’s Champions League exit
Newcastle exit the Champions League at the last 16 stage with an 8-3 defeat on aggregate and now turn their attention to Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland.
Reflecting on the heavy defeat, Howe said: “The defending today was not on the level that it was just a few days ago at Chelsea. Starting with the first goal, where two players slipped, then we concede a set play, then probably the big one was the penalty.
“So as well as we played in the first half, I thought we were outstanding in many aspects. It was really a great representation of how we want to play. There are too many individual errors within the performance to carry that great performance through.
“It was really, if we performed anywhere near, or defended anywhere near than we can, I think we'd be leading at half-time.
“I didn't see a need to necessarily change how we were playing at half-time. I thought we were really, really strong. But then of course we concede another set play.
“The first four goals we're looking at again, in terms of how we play, it's a strange execution of the goals against us. I don't think psychologically you can say that we recovered from the moment at half-time. That's what it looked like to me.
“In the second half we certainly didn't have the same energy. And when the game was effectively over, we hadn't lost that level either. So we came in very, very well in the second half. And even changing to play lower and deeper and compact space didn't really help us at all.”
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