At the end, as the home supporters carried their disappointment down the hill towards town, the Barcelona fans could be heard for the very first time up behind the goal where salvation had arrived in the very last minute. They doubtless sang out of relief as much as anything. It had been that kind of night for the best team in Spain.
This has been a frenzied affair on Tyneside. Newcastle were one foul and one penalty kick away from everything that Eddie Howe had dreamed of.
A Newcastle team pushing forward to the beat of the Gallowgate’s drum. A Barcelona team in retreat far more often than maybe they had expected. And then, with five minutes of normal time to go, a goal to spark celebrations that must have had pint glasses shaking on the tables of the pubs in the Bigg Market.
Howe’s team were marvellous at times. Newcastle played with pace and width and aggression and hustle. Anthony Elanga was a threat down the right while, over on the other side, Harvey Barnes struck what looked for all the world like the winning goal at the far post with time running out.
But the margins are wafer thin at this elevated level of the game and Barcelona are not a team that loses very often. And when they pushed forwards with the very last attack of the game, the whole feel of the night and indeed the tie changed in a heartbeat.
Substitute Dani Olmo dropped a shoulder as he eased into the Newcastle penalty area in the 94th minute and when central defender Malick Thiaw fell for it and dangled a leg, the Barcelona player duly fell over it. It was a penalty and soon it became an equaliser as Lamine Yamal stepped forward to slide in the kick with all the equanimity of a teenager changing the channel on a TV with a remote control.
Harvey Barnes opened the scoring for Newcastle in the Champions League against Barcelona
Barnes ghosted in at the back post and gave Newcastle the lead with 85 minutes on the clock
So a famous victory became a creditable draw and the two things are, of course, very different. Barcelona will be heavy favourites to progress next week in Spain where Newcastle will require something from another plane altogether if they are to make the last eight.
Not that there was any shame in this. Newcastle came into this game on the back of a heavy six days – games here against both Manchester clubs – but did not play like it. They began both halves with energy and vitality and the home crowd responded. It was quite uplifting to witness.
With Anthony Gordon unwell and on the bench and Nick Woltemade no longer trusted, last week’s goal hero Will Osula started. It was Barnes on the left and Anthony Elanga on the right who carried most of the threat, however.
Left-back Lewis Hall was also a threat as he hurtled forwards from deep and he headed a corner down into a dangerous area early on with Dan Burn lurking. Hall then sent Osula away only for the striker to turn into trouble before a deep cross set Elanga up for a volley that Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia grabbed at the second attempt. Elanga had another cross shot saved in the 17th minute but before long Barcelona started to get some kind of foothold in the game.
This was the way of it in both halves. Newcastle out of the blocks quickly only for Barcelona to recover. In the first half Yamal shot in to the side netting while in the second Robert Lewandowski prodded his only chance of the night narrowly wide.
Scattered around all that were Newcastle half chances. Elanga’s delivery didn’t always match his threat and his speed while Osula sometimes lacked the composure he showed in scoring last week against United.
Late in the game, after both sides had made changes, there was a shot from Joelinton that was on target only to be deflected off a defender and in to the goalkeeper’s arms. Then substitute Jacob Murphy shot over before passing square to Barnes in the 76th minute. Barnes’ shot across goal struck the post and Joelinton shovelled in the rebound only to be flagged at least two yards offside.
We thought that was maybe the end of it all but we were wrong. Murphy played a one-two down the right in the 86th minute and dropped a perfect far post cross over the goalkeeper and on to Barnes’ instep. The 28-year-old was just six yards out and though his connection on the volley wasn’t perfect, it was enough to beat Joan Garcia who could only help the ball over the line with his palm.
Lamine Yamal levelled the game after scoring from the spot in added time at St James’ Park
The young Barcelona talent celebrated after saving a draw for his side with seconds to spare
Aaron Ramsdale was visibly dejected after conceding the sucker-punch equaliser by Yamal
It was far from a thumping finish but it appeared to have done the job. Indeed Newcastle looked the more likely team to score again in the moments that followed. Barcelona didn’t look like scoring but still they managed it. Good teams often do.
The only time Hansi Flick’s team have failed to score this season was in losing to Chelsea in this competition back in November. Here they left it as late as they possibly could. Newcastle didn’t even have time to restart the game.
It was a memorable night on Tyneside but in the blink of an eye – or the stretch of a leg – Newcastle’s chance of moving forwards all but disappeared in to the night and it felt cruel.
