If the first leg against Newcastle United (1-1) was uncomfortable viewing for Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, the first period of the second leg was no less concerning. The German manager did note that his side had been working on beating Newcastle’s man-to-man press earlier this week, and in the second half, it finally clicked.
Even in the opening five minutes, there were signs that Newcastle United would be making life difficult for Barcelona. Twice Joan Garcia was called into action, and Barcelona spent the first five minutes under pressure in their own half. It was the first time Barcelona really broke away, when Lamine Yamal turned Lewis Hall in his own half, feeding Raphinha on the right. Exchanging touches with Fermin Lopez outside him, it was an easy finish inside the box for Raphinha to open the scoring.
That didn’t sink Newcastle’s morale at all though, and they continued to drive at the defence down the flanks. It was Harvey Barnes, who had already shown Eric Garcia a clean pair of heels once, who got free down the left, and Anthony Elanga ran in unopposed from the other flank to finish Barnes’ pass past Joan Garcia. Less than four minutes past before Raphinha’s clipped set-piece was nodded back across the six-yard box for Marc Bernal to knock in.
🚨 Eric García has relapsed from his hamstrings injury! [@carrusel]
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 18, 2026
The fourth goal, and there were chances in between these goals, came before the half-hour mark. With Eric being forced to retire injured, Ronald Araujo was sent on to defend Barnes, but fared little better. A series of calamities, Lamine Yamal backheeled the ball back to Newcastle in his own third, and Barnes was slipped in down the left. Elanga ghosted in behind Joao Cancelo again, and tapped in from close range.
In the final 15′ of the first half, it felt as if the sequence of play in Newcastle’s half would define who got the chance to mount a dangerous attack. If Sandro Tonali and Joelinton could work it wide to Barnes, then Newcastle would begin the sprint forward. If Barcelona managed to disrupt Newcastle, they are bearing down on the Newcastle goal. Like so, Robert Lewandowski was released free on the left with a golden chance by Raphinha, but a heroic block from Dan Burn prevented a third. Then Lamine Yamal escaped his marker, before feeding Lewandowski, who shifted it left quickly to the side of the box and Raphinha. The Brazilian’s shot was parried by Aaron Ramsdale, and both Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal missed open goals, the latter lofting the ball over from eight yards out.
Barcelona did get the lead at half-time though. Another Lamine Yamal pass down the right flank this time got Fermin Lopez to the by-line. His ball across the six-yard box nearly found Raphinha, but he was tugged back by Kieran Trippier. This time Lamine Yamal made no mistake from the penalty spot, beating Ramsdale down to the right.
Already in the early stages of the second half, it looked as if Barcelona were beginning to find the answers to Newcastle’s intense pressing though. With Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Lopez all swapping positions, Barcelona began releasing the latter in behind with much more ease. It was a two-pass move from Gerard Martin and Raphinha into Lopez eight minutes into the second half that guillotined the Newcastle defence. Racing clear, Lopez finished into the corner.
This time, Barcelona pressed on the accelerator after scoring. Raphinha swirled a corner to the back post in the 57th minute, and Lewandowski headed back across goal and into the net for just his third goal in 11 games. That appeared to give him more confidence. Five minutes later, Lamine Yamal, again in the number 10 position, turned away from his marker, and provided the perfect pass for Lewandowski peeling away from the middle, and finishing back across Ramsdale into the corner.
At that point, the tension, for the first time in 150 minutes of action, went out of the game. The Newcastle press, so suffocating for so long, ceased to be visible, as Barcelona enjoyed the extra space. With it, their press became that much more hungry, and Jacob Ramsey was the next to assist Raphinha, gifting the ball to him on the edge of the box. Unopposed, he controlled and finished to make it seven. The post mortem will be positive for Barcelona, but Flick will be concerned by the fact Joan Garcia limped off with a calf injury to be replaced by Wojciech Szczesny.
Barcelona were at times sloppy, often exposed and definitely softer than Flick would have liked in the first half. That was replaced by a clinic of sharp movement, intelligent turns and passing into the path of their players in the second. When that happened, Newcastle could not live with Barcelona. Although Flick will be conscious that his side cannot wait until the final quarter of a knockout tie to show that side of themselves, the sight of this hurricane-like Barcelona has been rare enough this season, that he will likely be far more delighted by its reappearance. They will face one of Atletico Madrid or Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-final in April.
