Barça survives a toothache in Newcastle

Newcastle upon TyneA penalty in stoppage time, awarded for a foul on Dani Olmo, salvaged a point for a very erratic Barça in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie (1-1). Lamine Yamal converted the spot kick with precision, preventing another comeback at the Camp Nou. When the defeat seemed insurmountable and deserved, Newcastle were left reeling when Thiaw brought down the Terrassa native in the final play of a match that, at times, stirred up ghosts of the past and should give Hansi Flick pause for thought ahead of next week's return leg.

The match began with an added complication, as Eric Garcia, the defender with the most minutes on the pitch, raised his hand due to discomfort in his thigh, which he felt on Saturday at San Mamés. The solution was a simple matter, as there was no other option but to rely on Araujo. Two and a half months after his fateful sending-off at Stamford Bridge, the Uruguayan defender returned to a Champions League starting eleven. But not as a center-back, rather as a full-back, which kept Gerard Martín in the heart of the defense alongside Cubarsí and shifted Cancelo to the left flank.

Flick's emergency measure affected Barça's approach, as they struggled to play the ball out cleanly from the back and left Lamine Yamal alone as a threat down the right. It's not the same to ambush with Koundé, Cancelo, or Eric as it is with Araujo, who had enough work to do trying to control Barnes' runs behind him. Pedri also struggled to find his rhythm amidst the physical superiority of Joelinton, Tonali, and Ramsey, the midfield trio of the... magpiesMeanwhile, Raphinha and Lewandowski, starters ahead of Rashford and Ferran Torres, were navigating against a home defense that only felt uncomfortable when it was criticized for its lack of finesse in combining from its own half.

Consequently, the first half's attacking output was limited to a shot from Lamine Yamal that hit the side netting of Ramsdale's goal, who minutes later easily blocked a tame attempt from Fermín from the edge of the box. More danger loomed in Joan Garcia's area, who had to intervene without too much effort to thwart a shot from Elanga in one of the plays where Cancelo left a wide-open space on his flank. Another move by Newcastle's Swedish winger almost ended in a goal. He delivered a powerful cross to the far post, but Osula, the English side's main attacking threat, was inches away from connecting with the header. In short, Barça's first half at Saint James' Park was clear proof that when traveling in Europe, you should always be prepared for a tough match, even if the initial draw seems favorable.

Barnes, a menace on Araujo's side

In the second half, the scene didn't change much. Quite the opposite, one might say. Spurred on by one of the Premier League's most loyal and passionate fanbases, Newcastle doubled down on their physical approach, threatening to get into the Barcelona penalty area more frequently. Eddie Howe's men again found space behind Cancelo, allowing Elanga to deliver a dangerous cross that Joan Garcia, alert as ever, caught cleanly. The Sallent native also intervened to prevent a tame shot from Barnes from opening the scoring. Nothing suggested that Barça would shake the feeling that the best thing that could have happened to them was simply not being behind. Not even a clear-cut chance (his shot grazed the post) for Lewandowski, the only opportunity the Pole managed to create, could dampen the spirits of the more than a thousand Barcelona fans who filled the upper tier of one of the stadium's ends.

Things didn't improve when Flick had to substitute Pedri, exhausted from withstanding the opponents' attacks, and Bernal, equally a victim of fatigue. The Blaugrana's plan, who ended up resorting to long balls from the back, was to defend the draw tooth and nail, thanking Joan Garcia's right post, which parried a vicious shot from Barnes. There were no consistent signs to suggest a miraculous burst of energy from Lamine Yamal or a moment of brilliance from Raphinha or Rashford. So much so, that the Blaugrana's ineffectiveness in attack ended up wreaking havoc in their own area, poorly defended when Barnes, this time, found himself unmarked to head home the opening goal. In the end, however, Thiaw's penalty opened a path to approach the second leg with more composure, but with all possible warnings flashing.