Eddie Howe vowed to take Newcastle back to the Champions League after their latest adventure ended in humbling style at Barcelona.
Wednesday night’s 7-2 drubbing at the Nou Camp, which saw the hosts progress 8-3 on aggregate, killed off the Magpies’ dreams of a quarter-final berth for the first time as Barca turned on the style after a difficult first half to crush the Premier League side.
Asked about his emotions on the final whistle and his desire for another crack at European football’s premier club competition, Howe said: “Of course, this is where we want to be.
“As much as today is a harsh scoreline on us and a painful experience, to see the players play as well as they did in the first half and execute 90 per cent of what we wanted was a great feeling, a great sight.
“I don’t think that all should be forgotten with the scoreline, as difficult as that is for everyone to see.”
If Newcastle contributed to their own downfall for Raphinha’s opener and Marc Bernal’s second, they ripped Barca apart to level on both occasions with Anthony Elanga scoring twice.
However, Lamine Yamal’s penalty in first-half stoppage time, awarded after a VAR review of Kieran Trippier’s challenge on Raphinha, gave the five-time European champions the impetus they needed to kill off the tie in ruthless fashion after the break.
Fermin Lopez put clear water between the sides before Robert Lewandowski’s double and a seventh from Raphinha blew the sorry Magpies away.
Howe, who also lost key midfielder Sandro Tonali to injury, said: “Our defending was not on a level that it was just a few days ago at Chelsea. It started with the first goal when two players slip and then we concede a set-play.
“Then probably the big moment is the penalty, so as well as we played in the first half, when I thought we were outstanding in many aspects – it was really a great representation of how we want to play – there were too many individual errors within the performance to carry that great performance through.
“Really, if we had defended anywhere near the level we can, I think we would have been leading at half-time.”
It was the first time Newcastle had conceded seven since they did so at Arsenal in December 2012, but they have little time to lick their wounds with Sunday’s must-win derby clash against Sunderland looming.
Asked about the penalty decision, which he admitted came as a significant psychological blow, Howe said: “Maybe it was a bit of a stronger call than our penalty, but I think it was tough on us for one not to be reversed and that one to be.”
Barca boss Hansi Flick was delighted with his side’s second-half display in particular, but was refusing to count any chickens.
Flick said: “It’s the Champions League and nothing is easy. We have to go step-by-step, thinking always match-to-match, game-to-game.
“Last season we did it and we will do it also this season.”
