At a glance
- Serious claims for a Newcastle penalty
- ‘You make errors, you get punished’
- How Elanga needs to capitalise on momentum
Newcastle United were thrashed 7-2 at the Camp Nou, eliminating the Magpies at the Round of 16 stage of the UEFA Champions League. Anthony Elanga scored twice on the night, but he believes the English side should have been awarded a penalty, which could have changed the game.
Barcelona were awarded a penalty just before half-time, which Lamine Yamal converted, as he did from the spot at St James’ Park in the first leg. But Elanga felt his side also deserved one following an incident involving Joao Cancelo.
Speaking to TNT Sport, the Swedish winger believes his side should have been given a penalty before the Spanish giants got theirs:
“Even in the last bit, I thought there might have been a penalty. If the referee gives one, he has to give the other, right?”
Collapse in Catalonia
The Toon Army may believe they deserved a penalty in the first half, which could have been a turning point in the tie. But Barca destroyed Eddie Howe’s side in the second half.
Raphinha and Marc Bernal had twice given the hosts the lead before Yamal’s penalty. Fermin Lopez added a fourth just after the break, before a Robert Lewandowski brace.
The seventh came from it, Raphinha, who added his second of the night.
Elanga claimed that the self-inflicted errors cost the Tynesiders in the game:
“A shame we went out the way we did, but we can reflect on our errors and work on them for Sunday.”
The 23-year-old continued:
“You make errors, you get punished, especially against teams like Barcelona. Everyone can make mistakes, but we can’t focus on it too much.”
Newcastle have shown more maturity in their recent league performances. This made their performance against the La Liga leaders all the more surprising, so they will be hoping this is a case of having a poor day.
Make or break for Swede
Despite the heavy defeat in Spain, Elanga scored twice for the Black and Whites; he’d only scored once in all competitions prior to the game.
Whether it was a case of finding it easier to play against an aggressive high line that Barcelona utilise or not, he will need to kick on from here with the remainder of the season.
Newcastle only have the Premier League to focus on now, and many might be playing their last few games in Black and White as it seems the club is ready for a summer rebuild.
Elanga hasn’t hit the heights he did at Nottingham Forest, and has really struggled to get any momentum under Howe so far.
The St James Park outfit face a tough test on the weekend against Sunderland, where a win will be necessary after losing 1-0 at the Stadium of Light earlier this season.
If Elanga is to get back on side with the fanbase after this poor start to his time at Newcastle, this game, as well as the rest of the season, is crucial to him.
If not, the Magpies might consider cutting their losses on the 23-year-old to find someone who can make an immediate impact.
