Chris Waddle was full of praise for a Newcastle United star despite a heartbreaking 1-1 draw against Barcelona in the first-leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie. Eddie Howe’s Magpies thought they’d won it late when Harvey Barnes deservedly found the net in the 86th-minute to send St James’ Park into euphoria.
A cruel ending saw Malick Thiaw give away a penalty, and Lamine Yamal scored with the final kick of the game from the penalty spot in the 90+6th minute. The Tyneside giants were the better side throughout but had to settle for a draw ahead of the second leg at Camp Nou next Wednesday (March 18th).
Barnes came to the fore with a tidy volleyed finish, meeting Jacob Murphy’s superb ball into the box. The home fans roared in delight, creating a special atmosphere throughout the game.
The usually composed Thiaw then tripped Dani Olmo in the box, giving the referee no choice but to point to the spot. Yamal sent Aaron Ramsdale the wrong way and broke the Toon Army’s hearts in the process.
Osula shines again
There were shades of September’s league clash between the two teams, which went in Barca’s favour. Tonight, neither side managed to secure victory, and Hansi Flick will be the happier manager ahead of the second leg.
Howe put his faith in William Osula, handing the Danish frontman just his sixth start of the season. He has grown in confidence as of late after scoring the winner in a 2-1 win over Manchester United last Wednesday.
Osula might not have been on the scoresheet, but he gave Barca’s defenders a difficult night. He tried his luck at goal three times, finding the target once and led the line well.
The 22-year-old has started to prove his doubters wrong in recent weeks, and Waddle was full of praise on commentary for BBC Radio 5 Live:
“Osula has put a terrific shift in. They deserve to be in the lead but they’ve just not had the rub of the green.”
The Dane will be eager to continue earning regular game time and to start against Barca at Camp Nou. He’s now made 25 appearances across competitions, posting four goals and one assist.
Howe rues Barcelona draw
Howe was pleased with Newcastle’s performance despite failing to beat Barcelona. The English coach seemed rightfully frustrated not to have watched his troops claim one of their most famous victories in European football.
The Magpies manager spoke to Amazon Prime Sport after the game:
“Really tough focusing on the game itself, I thought we were outstanding, a really good performance. We were really good in both halves. The moment at the end takes that in a negative light.”
Howe will now need to get his side to focus on this Saturday’s encounter against Chelsea. He might tinker with his team ahead of the second leg in Catalonia next week.
