Barça dispels doubts with a resounding victory, fueling their hopes in Europe

BarcelonaBarça soars in Europe. With a deluge of goals that overwhelmed Newcastle, Hansi Flick's team transformed their doubts into dreams. It had been years since a Champions League rout like this (7-2) had been seen, with a second half that left everyone in disbelief. And it didn't even take the best performances of Lamine Yamal and Pedri to achieve a result that serves as a warning to others. If teams like PSG or Bayern can rack up big wins in Europe, Barça can too.

And yet, at halftime, the match felt like a toothache. But Flick managed to perk up his game and figure out what to do to eventually find some enjoyment after suffering through some stretches. All the doubts of the first half transformed into a deluge of goals from a team that's already in the quarterfinals, ready for the next challenge. But the rout can't hide the pain of Joan Garcia, sidelined with a muscle injury, and Eric Garcia. A high price to pay for a team that suffers too much physically.

In the absence of control, Barça racked up a basketful of goals that demonstrates the team's hunger. Perhaps they lack physicality, but they have character to spare. But this is a Barça with two faces, whose attack turns everything to gold and a defense that causes suffering. The fierce exchange of blows with a Newcastle side that made them work hard throughout the tie ultimately went in favor of a Barça team buoyed by the sight of Raphinha and Lewandowski rediscovering their scoring touch when it mattered most. The tie was decided in a 10-minute spell reminiscent of the start of the second half, when Flick's team demolished an English side that until then had looked the better team. This was a far cry from a first half in which the defense looked far too vulnerable. Newcastle, with their superior finishing, could have knocked Barça out of the European race, but the Catalan side emerged victorious from a test that more than one player, like Cancelo and Araujo, failed.

The match began with the flags waving in the wind. Yes, the wind. Too much wind. Barcelona had enjoyed a sunny Wednesday, but by kickoff, the weather resembled Newcastle, with cold and a biting wind that cut through the skin. Eddie Howe's players began to punish the Barça defense right from the start, especially down the left flank where Harvey Barnes and Lewis Hall were running rampant, relentlessly attacking Eric Garcia, who, to make matters worse, was injured almost immediately. Araujo came on in his place, destined to be tormented by the English side, who sensed they could win the game down the wings. Because on the other flank, this footballing Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, João Cancelo, was up to his old tricks. While he had shone against Sevilla just a few days earlier, against Newcastle, it was painful to watch him completely ineffective defensively.

The English side, with some of the tallest, strongest, and most physical players on the continent, ensured Pedri wasn't there to shield the ball. The result was a back-and-forth affair in which both defenses struggled. Newcastle struck first, thanks to a clever move by Lamine, a slip by an opposing defender, and the quality of Raphinha. Elanga responded with an assist from Hall, who caught the entire Barcelona defense napping. Blows up and blows down the flank, like when boxers forget to defend and go on a rampage. Marc Bernal made it 2-1 after a Barcelona free kick, confirming the Berga native's scoring streak, having now found the net in La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League. But Newcastle found space down the wings and equalized again thanks to Elanga, who was having a field day with Cancelo. Barça were lucky not to concede a third goal shortly after, as the Portuguese full-back again lost his position and made slight contact with Elanga in a play that could have been a penalty. It wasn't. A foul by Trippier on Raphinha was a penalty shortly after. Lamine converted it to end the first half with Barça ahead and many doubts. At times, when attacking, Flick's team looked imposing. When defending, they didn't look like a team favored to reach the final in Budapest.

Flick's team was playing with fire. They knew they had to score more goals. And so they did. In less than 10 minutes, Barça scored three, taking advantage of Raphinha's intelligence and the movement of Fermín, who scored the fourth. The fifth and sixth were scored by Lewandowski, the masked warrior who knocked out a Newcastle side that had lost Tonali to injury. The tie was already over. Everyone knew it. But Barça kept pushing for more goals on the day that, finally, after so many years, the Camp Nou was once again hosting a European knockout match. Seeing that the English side had given up, Flick brought on Dani Olmo, Espart, and Ferran Torres, hoping the Valencian striker could also rediscover his scoring touch. But it was Raphinha who scored the seventh goal as the fans were already celebrating, despite Joan Garcia's muscle injury. Joy is never complete.