Barcelona v Newcastle LIVE: Reaction after hosts hits seven to reach Champions League quarter-finals | OneFootball

(REUTERS)

Barcelona blew away Newcastle United with a remarkable second-half surge to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals.

Eddie Howe’s side had managed to match the Catalan club for the first three halves of the tie, but found themselves served with a brutal reminder of the gap between them and the European elite as Barcelona struck four times after the interval at the Camp Nou on their way to a 7-2 win on the night.

After an entertaining 1-1 draw in the first leg, the tie had continued in nip-and-tuck fashion during a hectic first half as Anthony Elanga twice hit back after the hosts had gone ahead. But Lamine Yamal converted from the penalty spot on the stroke of half time, setting up a second-half blitz in which Robert Lewandowski struck twice to take Barcelona into the last eight after an 8-3 aggregate win. Next up? La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid, after they avoided a collapse against Tottenham.

Pinned

Barcelona blow away Newcastle in brutal end to Champions League dream

Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha killed off Newcastle's Champions League dream as Barcelona survived a first-half fright to book a quarter-final place in style.

The 37-year-old Poland international hit the Magpies with a quick-fire double before the Brazilian struck to seal a 7-2 win on the night - a 13th on the trot since their return to the Nou Camp - and an 8-3 aggregate victory on a night when Eddie Howe's side imploded.

Anthony Elanga's first-half brace had cancelled out Raphinha's early opener and Marc Bernal's free-header, but Lamine Yamal's stoppage-time penalty opened the floodgates with Fermin Lopez, Lewandowski and Raphinha again doing the damage.

Barcelona blow away Newcastle in brutal end to Champions League dream

Barcelona 7-2 Newcastle (8-3 agg.): Having matched the Catalan club for three halves, Newcastle were blown away in the second leg to bow out of the Champions League

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PA18 March 2026 19:50

Sunderland up next

“We have a massive game on Sunday so there’s no time to dwell or feel sorry for us,” Howe concludes, looking ahead to the visit of Sunderland to St James’ Park. “It’s a huge game for the club, our fans, the whole city.”

Alan Smith18 March 2026 20:30

Howe reacts

The Newcastle manager is unsurprisingly flat when appearing on TNT Sports for his post-match interview.

“A tough way to go out,” he says. “Really strange, to sum that up. First half we were excellent but didn’t defend key moments well enough. Second half we were nowhere near as good. And they deserved to go through.

“Psychologically the penalty was a tough one for the lads, very similar to end of the game in first leg. Then they scored quite quickly after half time and we didn’t recover from that moment.”

Alan Smith18 March 2026 20:08