Eddie Howe sends defiant message after Newcastle’s late heartbreak in Barcelona draw | OneFootball

Eddie Howe has declared his Newcastle side capable of competing with Europe’s elite, despite a dramatic late equaliser denying them a crucial first-leg victory against Barcelona in their Champions League last-16 tie.

The Magpies will travel to the Nou Camp next Wednesday with the tie finely poised at 1-1, after Lamine Yamal’s stoppage-time penalty snatched a win from their grasp at St James’ Park.

The draw felt like scant reward for a spirited performance against one of European football’s giants.

Howe, who described the equaliser as "soft", remains confident his team can pose a significant challenge to Hansi Flick’s side on their home turf.

"In the cold light of day when we wake up tomorrow, we’ll see the positives. The tie is very much alive, we played really well," Howe stated.

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Harvey Barnes looked to have secured a priceless win for Newcastle (PA Wire)

"We showed our qualities. We’ve been really competitive. The challenge is we need more on a consistent basis. We’ve showed we can play against the very best when we’re at our best."

Newcastle had seemed destined for a priceless 1-0 advantage when Harvey Barnes netted his 14th goal of the season in the 86th minute. However, a famous victory was cruelly snatched away in the dying moments.

Malick Thiaw’s challenge on substitute Dani Olmo prompted Italian referee Marco Guida to award a penalty, which Yamal duly converted in the sixth minute of added time, leaving Barcelona with the momentum heading into the return leg.

Asked if his team deserved more, Howe affirmed: "Yes, we do. A really good performance from the team, very, very good in all phases, really. I thought we limited them with a really good defensive performance from the team and I thought we attacked really well too.

“Although we didn’t create an abundance of clear-cut chances, I thought there were chances all through the game for us. It was great to see us finally score and then the last attack of the game, the last kick of the game, it’s a tough one to take."

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Lamine Yamal rescued a draw for Barcelona (Owen Humphreys/PA) (PA Wire)

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, whose team secured a 2-1 win at St James’ Park in the league phase back in September, admitted his side struggled for periods but was ultimately content with the draw.

"If you had asked me before the game with a 1-1, I was always happy," Flick commented.

"With the ball, we made not a good game. We lost too many balls, easy mistakes and this is what Newcastle only wants.

“When they get the ball, the transition they make is good, they have a lot of dynamic, very fast players, so it was not easy.

“But at the end, what I appreciated a lot from my team is that we defended together, the performance in defence was really good today."