Match Report. Barcelona 7 Newcastle United 2 (Barcelona win 8-3 on aggregate)

Lewis Hall
Published
2 hours ago
Team
Men

Newcastle United were beaten 7-2 by a clinical Barcelona on Wednesday night as their Champions League hopes were ended at the round of 16 stage.

Anthony Elanga had twice pulled the Magpies back onto level terms at the Spotify Camp Nou, cancelling out strikes from Raphinha and Marc Bernal in a frantic first period in Catalonia which ended with Lamine Yamal putting Hansi Flick's side 3-2 from the spot.

And after the restart it was all Barça, with Robert Lewandowski netting a brace, Raphinha completing his own double and Fermín López also on target to see off Eddie Howe's men by an aggregate scoreline of 8-3 and make sure of their own place in the quarter-finals.

The Magpies started well, with Dan Burn testing goalkeeper Joan García with a shot on the turn from Malick Thiaw's knock-down, but in the sixth minute the hosts took the lead.

Brazilian winger Raphinha was to enjoy a fine evening and his finish was crisp and calm, but there was a touch of fortune about the build-up as Lewis Hall slipped as he looked to intercept a through ball from Lamine Yamal, who himself had profited from a Thiaw stumble. Hall regained his footing, but couldn't cut out López's pass and Raphinha netted coolly.

But United responded superbly, and Elanga's equaliser was rich reward for their endeavour. Hall made it with a driving run down the left and a one-two with Harvey Barnes, and the left back's low cross was brilliantly rolled home by Elanga at the far post.

In the 18th minute, though, the visitors conceded again. Raphinha's free kick was headed back across goal by Gerard Martín, and Bernal stroked beyond Aaron Ramsdale from close range to put Barça back in front.

Ronald Araújo glanced another Raphinha delivery, this time from a corner, into the sidenetting but before the half hour, the Magpies were back on level terms. Hall and Barnes were again involved, with the latter's cross just evading the former - but not Sweden international Elanga, who stole in at the far post again to grab his second of the night.

Seven minutes before the break, Howe's side felt aggrieved that they weren't awarded a penalty when Elanga - who was causing the hosts untold problems on the right flank - was pulled back by João Cancelo. At the other end, it took some magnificent defending from Burn to deny Lewandowski; the Polish forward's first effort was blocked by the sliding Burn, before the England centre back got back up to beat Lewandowski to the rebound in the air.

On the stroke of half time, Barça squandered a glorious chance to go back in front. Ramsdale parried Raphinha's low drive with the loose ball narrowly evading Lewandowski. Yamal, though, looked certain to score as he ran onto it in the six-yard box - but somehow, he cleared the crossbar with most of the Camp Nou expecting the net to bulge.

But moments later, in stoppage time at the end of a truly chaotic half, Yamal did find the target, making it 3-2 from the spot. Kieran Trippier, captaining the Magpies, was adjudged to have pulled Raphinha down as he looked to latch on to López's low centre. The penalty was given after a VAR check by referee François Letexier, who initially waved away the home side's protests before revising his decision after going to the monitor to review it - and Yamal whipped a low spot-kick past Ramsdale to leave United chasing the game once more.

Trippier was replaced by Tino Livramento at the break, and Ramsdale twice denied Raphinha in the first five minutes of the second period. On 52 minutes, however, Flick's men moved further in front. Once more, Raphinha was the architect, playing a first-time through ball which split the United defence in half. From there, López's finish was well-placed, nestling in the bottom right-hand corner.

And ten minutes into the second half, Lewandowski beat Livramento to a Raphinha corner and nodded his side's fifth of the evening beyond Ramsdale.

Just after the hour, the contest was as good as over as Lewandowski fired in a sixth; Yamal beat Burn before threading a pass beyond Thiaw, who couldn't get a touch on it to prevent it reaching the clinical Lewandowski.

Any lingering hopes of an unlikely fightback were ended when Jacob Ramsey's mishit pass, intended for Livramento, was intercepted by Raphinha. The former Leeds wideman, a constant thorn in Newcastle's side, nonchalantly dispatched Barça's seventh and made absolutely sure of their place in the last eight.

Newcastle United: Aaron Ramsdale, Kieran Trippier (Tino Livramento 46), Lewis Hall, Joelinton (Sven Botman 64), Sandro Tonali (Joe Willock 55), Anthony Gordon (Will Osula 81), Harvey Barnes, Malick Thiaw, Anthony Elanga (Jacob Murphy 64), Dan Burn, Jacob Ramsey

Subs not used: Nick Pope, John Ruddy, Aidan Harris, Yoane Wissa, Nick Woltemade, Alex Murphy, Sean Neave

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