At a Glance
- A historical triumph for Newcastle
- The Aspirilla show
- The Magpies fly to Barcelona tonight
As Newcastle United prepare to take on Barcelona, again, tonight, thoughts inevitably turn to one magical, unforgettable evening on Tyneside in 1997.
It’s almost cliche at this point, ‘Tino Asprilla and all that’.
Sharing the same rarified air as the famous ‘Howay 5-0’ game and last season’s Carabao Cup final victory, Newcastle’s first-ever Champions League game remains their greatest to date.
First time for everything
Newcastle fell just short in the 1996/97 Premier League title race, but finishing as runners-up earned a first-ever Champions League campaign the following season.
Their opening group-stage challenge could hardly have been tougher. Barcelona arrived on Tyneside in September 1997 with a squad packed full of elite talent, including Luis Enrique, Luís Figo and Rivaldo.
Newcastle’s preparation had also been far from ideal. During the summer, they had sold key players Les Ferdinand and David Ginola, while talisman Alan Shearer suffered a serious ankle injury that would sideline him for six months.
As a result, Newcastle faced a daunting task without the prolific Shearer–Ferdinand partnership, which had produced 49 goals across all competitions the previous season.
Manager Kenny Dalglish was forced to start with the unlikely strike duo of summer signing and eventual flop, Jon Dahl Tomasson, and the enigmatic Faustino Asprilla.
Tino trio
There really isn’t much more that can be written about this game that hasn’t been covered already.
Newcastle United isn’t a club that wins a lot of trophies, so memorable games like this one against Barcelona tend to live longer in the memory than they would for a Man United or Liverpool.
Tino Asprilla struck three times within 47 minutes as Newcastle tore through the Catalans.
Barcelona and their stars were left stunned, though the Spanish champions nearly mounted a comeback with a late surge that set up a tense finale.
While the game will forever be synonymous with Asprilla, who gave the Magpies the lead with a first-half penalty, it was also the best game Keith Gillespie ever had in black and white.
The Northern Irish winger provided two strikingly similar crosses for Tino, who dutifully dispatched two power headers into the back of the Barcelona net to complete his hat-trick.
Time for a new chapter?
The 1997 clash between Newcastle and Barcelona has long since passed into Geordie folklore; it cemented Tino Asprilla’s legacy at the club and introduced the big boys of European football to the bright lights of St. James Park.
But there is a sense that if the club is to grow and achieve its full potential, they need to create more memorable European nights with its current generation of stars.
After a stellar showing in the league phase of the competition, Newcastle have already made it further than ever in this season’s Champions League by making it to the round of 16.
A win against Barcelona tomorrow evening would almost certainly eclipse the 1997 fixture.
It may not produce a cult hero like Asprilla, but it would see the Magpies reach the quarter-finals of club football’s most prestigious competition for the first time in their history.
With the game finely balanced 1-1 from the first leg, there’s never been a better time for Newcastle to make an impact in Europe.
Barring a cataclysmic collapse against Spurs, it’s Atletico Madrid who await the winners of tomorrow’s fixture, and with past Champions League victories over Barcelona, PSG, and Juventus at St. James’ Park, Newcastle needn’t fear anyone.
