Barcelona did not need the cunning of this city’s pickpockets to win, not when Newcastle simply handed over their wallet.
In doing so, Eddie Howe’s side lost the richest match in the club’s history and at a heavy cost, too. A record European defeat in which morale and momentum took a kicking at the feet of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. Their season now rests, very uncomfortably after this, on Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby.
Barcelona, at their brutal best, can do this to teams, of course. But Newcastle were never likely to beat the Spanish champions when so determined to beat themselves.
That will be the annoyance for Howe, just when he thought his team had rediscovered their doggedness in defence. This was more like a dog’s dinner and Yamal and Co gleefully dined out on the generosity.
Forget that Newcastle were incisive and clinical in attack for 45 minutes – they were dreadful in defence for 90. Of Barcelona’s seven goals, six were gift-wrapped with a black-and-white bow.
They saved the worst till last when Jacob Ramsey swept blindly across his own penalty area. It was a defence-splitting pass, albeit his own defence. Raphinha accepted the invite to score beyond an exposed Aaron Ramsdale. Poor Ramsdale. That was not even Barcelona’s easiest goal. That was probably the sixth. Or maybe the second. Come to think of it, the first wasn’t great, either.
Barcelona earned a crushing 7-2 win on the night to dump Newcastle out of the Champions League
Eddie Howe’s side were cut apart in the second half after a competing well in the first
Robert Lewandowski scored twice in the second half as Newcastle’s challenge fell apart
Poor Anthony Elanga, too. His two goals will be a footnote when they had threatened to be the headline act during a first half in which Newcastle went forward with pace and adventure. But so jamon-fisted was their defending, it did not matter what Elanga, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes did.
So, where to start with a five-goal first half as wild as the wind that blew in on kick-off and never left this roofless bowl?
Well, the very end, and the goal that effectively tilted the tie in Barcelona’s favour. Newcastle were finishing the half strongly and looked like scoring every time they went forward. The problem? So did Barcelona.
With one last attack, a flick of Yamal’s left boot bent the ball around Lewis Hall and into space for Fermin Lopez. Not even the gusts could take this pass off course. Lopez then delivered through a vacant six-yard area. Why? Trippier, in a panic, had tugged at Raphinha.
After a VAR review, a penalty was awarded and Trippier, perhaps because Raphinha would not have made the cross even with a free run, was let off with a yellow card. Yamal scored for 3-2.
Before that, in the sixth minute, the hosts led when two Newcastle players, Malick Thiaw and Hall, slipped in the moments before Raphinha curled into the bottom corner. In fairness to Thiaw, a sharp Yamal turn had sent him for the chorizo, and that was why he lost his footing.
But, on 15 minutes, Newcastle were level. As expected, they looked to profit from Barcelona’s high line and the tactic was paying off handsomely. Hall burst in behind on the left and crossed for Elanga, who steered back beneath Joan Garcia.
Anthony Elanga equalised twice for Newcastle in the first half with Barcelona’s defence exposed
Kieran Trippier gave away a penalty for pulling back Raphinha on the stroke of half-time
Lamine Yamal beat Aaron Ramsdale from the spot to give Barcelona the lead for the third time
Fermin Lopez raced through on goal after a fine Barcelona move to give the hosts a two goal cushion on the night
Two minutes later and Barcelona were back in front. Answers on a postcard of Catedral de Barcelona as to who was marking first Gerard Martin and then Marc Bernal. The former, unmarked at the far post from a Raphinha free-kick, headed back across goal for his unattended team-mate to turn in.
But then, again, Elanga. Yamal coughed up possession – for him, this was an isolated splutter – and Hall found Barnes who crossed for Elanga to finish. Game on very quickly deteriorated into game over for Newcastle when Trippier fouled at the expense of the penalty.
Newcastle came out for the second half in body only. Coherent thought was left behind in the dressing-room. Let’s get through this quickly, just as Barcelona did to Newcastle. On 52 minutes, Raphinha sent Lopez clear and he finished. 4-2. On 56 minutes, Robert Lewandowski headed in too easily from a corner. On 61 minutes, Lewandowski ran away from Thiaw and helped himself to a second. And then, on 72 minutes, Ramsey with the assist for Raphinha.
No more Champions League football for Newcastle. After this, that might be no bad thing.
