Eddie Howe declared his Newcastle team capable of competing with Europe’s elite, despite a dramatic late equalizer denying them a crucial first-leg victory against Barcelona during the knockout stages of the Champions League.
THE Magpies travel to the Camp Nou next Wednesday with a well-balanced draw at 1-1, after Lamine YamalThe injury time penalty snatched a victory at St James’ Park.
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This draw is little reward for a spirited performance against one of the giants of European football.
Howe, who described the equalizer as “sweet”, remains confident his side can pose a strong challenge to Hansi Flick’s side on their home turf.
“In the cold light of day when we wake up tomorrow we will see the positives. The draw is very lively, we played very well,” Howe said.
Harvey Barnes looked to have scored a priceless victory for Newcastle (PA Wire)
“We showed our qualities. We were very competitive. The challenge is that we need more consistently. We showed that we can play against the best when we are at our best.”
Newcastle looked destined for an invaluable 1-0 advantage when Harvey Barnes scored his 14th goal of the season in the 86th minute. However, a famous victory was cruelly snatched away in the final moments.
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Malick Thiaw’s challenge on substitute Dani Olmo prompted Italian referee Marco Guida to award a penalty, which Yamal duly converted in the sixth minute of added time, leaving Barcelona with the momentum heading into the second leg.
Asked if his team deserved more, Howe said: “Yes, we do. A very good performance from the team, very, very good in all phases, really. I thought we limited them with a very good defensive performance from the team and I thought we attacked very well too.
“Even though we didn’t create a lot of clear-cut chances, I thought we had chances throughout the game. It was great to see us finally score, and then the last attack of the game, the last kick of the game, it’s hard to take.”
Lamine Yamal saved a draw for Barcelona (Owen Humphreys/PA) (PA Wire)
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, whose side secured a 2-1 victory at St James’ Park in the league stage in September, admitted his side had struggled through periods but ultimately settled for the draw.
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“If I had been asked for a 1-1 before the match, I was always happy,” Flick commented.
“With the ball we didn’t have a good game. We lost too many balls, easy mistakes and that’s what Newcastle want.
“When they get the ball back, the transition they make is good, they have a lot of dynamic and very fast players, so it wasn’t easy.
“But in the end, what I really liked from my team is that we defended together, the defensive performance was really good today.”
