**Just a few days on from our vital 1-0 win at Chelsea, Newcastle United are gearing up for another huge game: Barcelona at the Nou Camp in the last 16 of the Champions League.**
Eddie Howe’s Mags were seconds away from taking a one-goal advantage into the second leg in Spain, as Malick Thiaw conceded a penalty one minute beyond the allotted stoppage time allowance.
A bitter blow, but a top performance to prove we can go toe-to-toe with the big boys, which we showed once again last weekend with a 1-0 victory away to a Chelsea side who struggled to break us down all night.
This time, Eddie Howe has more first-team players available, with Anthony Gordon recovered from his illness, Tino Livramento back and available to start, and, hopefully, Sandro Tonali back to 100% after missing out on Saturday.
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Joelinton has made a big impression on the team since his return from injury, too, and the Brazilian has been [speaking to The Chronicle](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/joelinton-lifts-lid-extra-special-33600113), where he’s shared that there is a strong sense of belief amongst the squad.
> _“I have been to Barcelona a few times in the last few seasons for injections, but I am happy to be there to play this time!_
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> _“I hope we can go to the Nou Camp and perform well. We have confidence and the belief to go through. T__he last few games we have been playing much better and picked up points against Chelsea and Man United._
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> _“We held Barcelona too and we have more and more confidence each game now. If we keep pushing and trying we can still achieve our goals this season.”_
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> _“It (Chelsea) was a massive win away from home. We got a clean sheet, and there were a lot of positives to take, we showed a great mentality to get the three points._ _We’re very happy with everything. It is a great feeling.”_
Big Joe also discussed his excitement at seeing 10,000 Mags on tour in Barcelona, believing a big away following can be “very important” to the players as they look to cause an upset at the Nou Camp.
> _“It is something we always expect but this will be extra special. To see 10,000 Geordies in Barcelona is incredible._
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> _“They will be very important for us. I hope we can deliver a good performance for them._
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> _“I hope it is a good trip for everyone. We hope they enjoy it and we enjoy with them too. If we give our best we can give them a result.”_
After the massive win over Chelsea on Saturday, there’s a renewed feeling amongst the fans that the fight for Europe is still on, with results over the weekend leaving us just three points behind Brentford in 7th.
The plan is to win tonight and progress to the quarter-finals, but should we exit the Champions League tonight, we’ll have eight cup finals in the league: starting with Sunderland on Sunday before a winnable of fixtures across April and May.
Performances of late have improved dramatically, and as long as we can keep playing to that level and bringing home the points, there’s no reason we can’t get back into that European fight.