Newcastle United vs Barcelona: Read Eddie Howe's pre-match message | OneFootball

Our first match was closely fought, and we know what a tough test we will have tonight given the quality of opposition we face, and their track record in Europe. But it is a challenge we absolutely relish.

In our last match on Saturday, we faced Manchester City in the fifth round of the FA Cup. It was also the fifth time we have faced City this season, so we knew the importance of making a positive start against such a good side, and we certainly did. We started well, looked dangerous and created a number of opportunities to score, and fully deserved our lead when Harvey Barnes put us ahead.

City got back into the match before half time and scored again very soon after the break. We then had to chase the game and against a side who are so dangerous when they get some control in a match, this was always going to be a difficult challenge. The players never gave up, but in the end we weren’t able to find a way back despite our efforts.

At the moment each week feels like a season-defining set of fixtures ahead of us, and the week ahead is no exception, with two games against Barcelona sandwiched either side of a Premier League fixture with Chelsea. So, while we were disappointed to lose to City, there is no time to dwell on this and we quickly turn our attention to the week ahead and the here and now of the Champions League.

An intense run of fixtures is obviously a challenge for the whole squad, and we have plenty of players who have played an awful lot of minutes, especially in positions where we’ve been hit harder by injuries and therefore unable to rotate as much. But we have a dressing room full of strong characters and a squad who are fully committed to the club. So as we start to welcome back players recovering from injury, it will be a boost to have more options and therefore be able to use the full squad we have.

Finally, a big thank you to all of you. The reaction you gave us during the City match when things weren’t going our way was so important for the players, and the reception you gave us at the end of the game said everything about how unique the supporters of this club are.

We really couldn’t ask for more, we never take it for granted but are so grateful and even more determined to reward every single one of you with success.

Eddie Howe.