He FC Barcelona He achieved a very valuable draw on his visit to St. James’ Park in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. A penalty caused by Dani Olmo and transformed by Lamine Yamal in stoppage time it helped Hansi Flick’s team to equalize a game they had lost after the goal from Harvey Barnes for Newcastle in the 86th minute (1-1).
The English team was superior against an uncomfortable Barça that he did not finish finding his best game, but his mistake in front of goal allows the culés to take home a good result for next week’s return at the Camp Nou.
Newcastle forgives a Barça team lost at St. James’ Park
Barça achieved a golden tie thanks to a geniusa glimpse of one of his figures that he was looking for throughout the duel, but that did not appear until the 96th minute. When the score was 1-0 against an aggressive Newcastle, Dani Olmo took a penalty out of his hat that Lamine converted into the tie.
Before and during almost the entire match, they played what Newcastle wanted. It took Barça several minutes to get into the game, stunned by the push of ‘Las Urracas’, who came out with a couple of speeds more than Hansi Flick’s team.
A Flick who had to face a complicated ballot when making the lineup, since before the start of the match it was confirmed that Eric García He joined the recent losses of Balde and Koundé in defense. The one chosen to replace him was Araújo, who did not have good memories of his last visit to England after being sent off against Chelsea in the league phase.
Eddie Howe left without two of his main offensive assets, Gordon y Woltemadeand opted for an offensive trident formed by Harvey Barnes, Elanga and Osula.
It worked for him. Not in terms of result, but in terms of danger. The three local attackers put the Barça defense in check in the first minutes of the game, with a Particularly active elanga. The Swede drove Cancelo crazy and tested Joan García on more than one occasion.
The first chance of the first half and the clearest came from a corner kick in the 4th minute. Tonali found a rebound in the area and his header escaped Joan’s hands. Fortunately for Barça, the defense cleared the scoring. Osula could also have opened the scoring, but his header went wide.
Flick’s team knew how to withstand the local attacks and tried to take over the game. Pedri began to come into play more and lowered the pulse of the duel.
Raphinha and Lamine joined the canary, they began to appear and Barça had their first opportunities. The Brazilian was the clearest protagonist, with a cross from behind that almost ended in an own goal. Dan Burns.
The ’10’ also had his own with a trademark individual play that deflected Ramsdale into a corner. It seemed that Barça was growing, but it was a mirage. Newcastle continued to threaten space and making the Barça exit uncomfortable with his pressure. The match was even, although the visiting team was not completely comfortable.
Barnes punishes the culé error and Dani Olmo comes to the rescue
The script did not change much in the second act. Newcastle continued to arrive, although not as frequently as in the first minutes, against a Barça that could not find its game.
As happened in Bilbao, the Barça team was looking for a spark, a stroke of inspiration from one of its stars to get the duel back on track.
Raphinha seemed to have that sparkwho dropped a ball with class and assisted Lewandowski. The Pole, in a shot that has scored a goal a thousand times in his career, failed to make a good impact and sent the ball wide in the 66th minute. It was the clearest for Barça until that moment. It was another mirage.
Howe pulled Gordon and Murphy to shake up the game and he succeeded. Barça was saved in the 74th minute after a shot from Barnes that hit the post and Joelinton scored a goal in an illegal position. So much annulment and scare for the culés, who were having more and more difficulties containing Newcastle’s attacks.
The resistance lasted only a few minutes. Murphy played a one-two with Ramsey and put a cross into the area. That’s where it appeared Harvey Barnes brand free for beat Joan García now and overtake the English in the 86th minute.
After the goal, ‘Las Magpies’ continued to press against a stunned Barça. The 1-0 was beginning to look like a good result seen what we have seen, but Barça managed to defend itself from the local insistence and take advantage of its own. With time practically up, Olmo received in front of him and made a delicious feint to Thiaw, who knocked him down inside the area. Book penalty which Lamine converted by tricking Ramsdale. Calmly, without feeling the pressure.
Flick’s men will have to finish the job at the Camp Noualthough to do so they will need to improve the version offered in St. James’ Park. The resolution, in a week in Barcelona.
