Eddie Howe declared his Newcastle side capable of competing with Europe’s elite despite a dramatic last-minute equalizer handing them a crucial victory in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Barcelona.
The Magpies travel to Camp Nou next Wednesday, level 1-1 after Lamine Yamar’s stoppage-time penalty secured a win at St James’ Park.
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For an intense performance against one of the giants of European football, the draw felt like little reward.
Howe described the equalizer as “soft” and remains confident his side can pose a serious challenge to Hansi Flick’s side at home.
“When we wake up tomorrow, in the cold sunshine, we’ll look at the positives. This game was dynamic and we played really well,” Howe said.
Harvey Barnes looks set to secure Newcastle a priceless win (PA Wire)
“We showed what we are capable of. We are really competitive. The challenge is that we need to offer more on a consistent basis. We have shown that when we are at our best, we can play against the best players.”
Newcastle seemed destined for a priceless 1-0 advantage when Harvey Barnes scored his 14th goal of the season in the 86th minute. However, a famous victory was cruelly taken away at the last moment.
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Malik Thio’s challenge on substitute Dani Olmo prompted Italian referee Marco Guida to award a penalty, which Yamal duly converted in the sixth minute of stoppage time to give Barcelona momentum heading into the second leg.
When asked if his team deserved more, Howe affirmed: “Yeah, we deserved it. The team played very well, very, very well in every phase, really. I thought we limited them with a great defensive performance from the team and I thought our offense was very good as well.”
“While we didn’t create a ton of clear-cut chances, I thought we had chances throughout the game. It was nice to see us score in the end and then the last attack of the game, the last kick of the game, it was a hard chance to take.”
Lamine Yamal saved the draw for Barcelona (Owen Humphreys/PA) (PA Wire)
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, whose side won 2-1 at St James’ Park in September’s league stage, admitted his side struggled for a period but were ultimately pleased with the draw.
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“If you ask me before a 1-1 game, I’m always happy,” Flick commented.
“We didn’t play well in terms of possession. We conceded too many goals and made mistakes easily, which is what Newcastle want.”
“They transition well when they get the ball and they have a lot of dynamic, fast players, so it’s not easy.
“But at the end of the day, what I appreciate most about my team is that we play defense together, and the defense played really well today.”