The UEFA Champions League has just begun to get exciting with the knock-out rounds finally underway. Spanish giants FC Barcelona visited St James Park to take on Newcastle United FC in the first leg of the Round of 16 on March 10, 2026.
While the match was largely eventless, things turned on the heel when Newcastle's Harvey Barnes broke the deadlock and scored the first goal of the match in the 86th minute to give his team the lead. A frustrated Barcelona carried on, tried to get a goal to settle with a draw
In the final minutes of play, when the match had gone into extra-time, Blaugrana were awarded a penalty in the 96th minute and youngster Lamine Yamal kept his cool to score a smooth penalty, securing a draw for his team.
Lamine Yamal's last-minute penalty for Barcelona against their UCL Round of 16 match against home team Newcastle changed the dynamic of the game, much to the disappointment of the home fans.
After Harvey Barnes 86' goal, Newcastle thought they will have the advantage going into the second leg at Barcelona's home ground, Camp Nou. However, the English team's Malick Thiaw gave away a clear penalty when he brought down Barcelona substitute Dani Olmo well into stoppage time.
The despair in the Newcastle camp was clear, and so was the jubilance in their opponents'. 18-year-old Lamine Yamal became the man of the moment when he stepped up to do the job for his team at such a crucial juncture. Despite having a relatively underwhelming match, he delivered when it mattered and Barcelona equalised right before the final whistle.
Going into the match, Barcelona were the clear favourites. However, Newcastle's determination to give the visitors a challenge shone throughout the game who barely gave space for the opponents to score.
A win against Barcelona, a first in almost 30 years, would have been historic for the English club. Now, they must start over as they meet each other in the second leg at a more difficult venue, the Camp Nou.
Barcelona will host Newcastle in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
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