Newcastle United 1-2 FC Barcelona: Rashford rules on Tyneside
FC Barcelona have got their Champions League campaign off to the perfect start, taking three points from what, on paper, was one of the trickiest of their eight League Phase fixtures. Winning at Newcastle United is no easy feat, and this was no walk in St James Park for Barça. But they got the job done and will be flying back to Catalonia with very big smiles on their faces.
In a grippingly intense and often very physical contest, Barça were made to suffer for long swathes of the game, and had never really found top gear before two fabulous goals from Marcus Rashford utterly changed the dynamic of the game.
The first was a fine header, the second was an absolute screamer. We can sure that Rashford will be delighting us with plenty more goals this season, but topping that beauty is going to take some doing!
Troubled start
St James Park was well up for this, both the home fans and the players, and the first half hour or so was an almost constant onslaught on the Barça goal. Newcastle's fast and vertical football was causing all kinds of trouble for the blaugrana back line, but fortunately the final connection was never quite there. And the one time it was, Joan García got a miraculous foot in the way of what looked a near-certain goal for Harvey Barnes.
The Catalans, today all in pink, took worryingly long to have much of an impact on the game. But the passes eventually started flowing and the remainder of the first half was almost entirely played in the Newcastle end of the pitch. But the Magpies proved admirable defenders too, and a Raphinha free kick was as close as Barça came before the break. Not one shot on target. Winning this was going to be no easy mission.
Rashford heroics
On 58 minutes, and with things still not quite fully clicking, the man of the moment produced his first masterstroke.
Jules Kounde flipped over the cross and there was Rashford to head in his first ever goal in a Barça shirt. And what a place to do it… in the Champions League and in his home country!
But that goal was just a taster for what the Englishman was going to serve up nine minutes later. A shimmy along the edge of the area, and whoosh! A perfectly struck thunderbolt bounded in off the crossbar. No chance for Nick Pope, and all of a sudden Barça were utterly in command. And Rashford was the man to thank.
Until now, the contingent of Culers who had made their way to Tyneside had been drowned out by the Toon Army. But they were making themselves heard now!
Late worry
After giving it absolutely everything they had only to be punished by two moments of brilliance, Newcastle looked a spent force from the second goal onward. A third from Barça looked far more likely than a black-and-white comeback.
But in the final minute of regulation time, Anthony Gordon was on the end of a long cross into the area and Newcastle were back within one. The final minutes were going to a little less comfortable than expected.
A reinvigorated Newcastle drove for an equaliser, but Barça stood their ground firmly, and the whistle blew on the first episode of what is hopefully going to be a long and beautiful journey to Budapest in May…
Next up for Barça in the Champions League is their first game at home. October 1. And it’s another big one. None other than Paris Saint Germain…. Força Barça!