Newcastle United winger Harvey Barnes expressed his frustration over Lamine Yamal‘s penalty goal that cost them a win in the dying moments of the first leg of their last-16 clash against Barcelona, calling it “really hard to take.”
Barcelona, five-time European champions, seemed destined for defeat until Malick Thiaw fouled Dani Olmo in the penalty area just moments before the match concluded.
Referee Marco Guida awarded the penalty, and 18-year-old Yamal displayed remarkable composure by scoring against Aaron Ramsdale, as home fans urged him to miss. His goal, scored at 96 minutes, was immediately followed by the final whistle.
This was the second-latest penalty kick to equalize in Champions League history, following Kylian Mbappé‘s last-minute equalizer for Paris Saint-Germain against Newcastle in the 98th minute back in 2023.
Newcastle initially took the lead with Barnes’ close-range goal in the 86th minute, marking a promising moment for the forward who had previously struck the post.
“It’s tough. Scoring brings an amazing feeling, and we felt the support of the fans. We played really well,” Barnes reflected after the 1-1 draw. “To concede so late is heartbreaking, but we’re still in the tie with a second leg ahead.”
Head coach Eddie Howe criticized the equalizer as “soft” and affirmed, “Yes, we deserved more.”
He added, “The team performed exceptionally well in all areas. Our defensive display was solid, and our attacking was effective too.”
“Though we didn’t create a plethora of clear-cut chances, we had opportunities throughout the match.”
“It was fantastic to finally get on the scoresheet, but to concede in the last attack is incredibly tough.”
However, Howe expressed confidence that they could give Hansi Flick’s squad a challenging match at Camp Nou when they meet for the second leg next week.
“Once we reflect tomorrow, we’ll appreciate the positives. The tie is very much alive, and we showed we can compete at this level,” he said.
“We must build on this consistency. We’ve shown we can go up against the world’s best when performing at our peak.”
Barcelona, who previously defeated Newcastle 2-1 at St James’ Park in the group stages back in September, exhibited moments of brilliance but were pressured for extended stretches of the match, content to depart with a draw.
“If you had asked me before the match, I’d have welcomed a 1-1 draw,” said head coach Flick.
“I’m mostly pleased with the outcome. We struggled with ball control and made too many unforced errors.”
“It was a challenging match, and the errors were evident. When we maintained control, things were easier. We need to perform significantly better next week.”
This report was contributed by The Associated Press, PA, and ESPN’s Sam Marsden.