Ruthless Barcelona hit seven goals past Newcastle in Champions League

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Barcelona delivered a ruthless attacking display to dismantle Newcastle United 7-2 in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash on Wednesday.

The first leg had ended 1-1 in England. Barcelona thus qualified for the quarter-finals on 8-3 aggregate.

The Spanish giants turned on the style at home, overwhelming their English opponents with clinical finishing and superior possession.

Despite Newcastle briefly threatening a comeback after levelling at 2-2 in the first half, Barcelona responded emphatically to seize total control of the encounter.

Raphinha set the tone early, opening the scoring before Newcastle’s Anthony Elanga struck back to restore parity. Barcelona regained the lead through Marc Bernal, but Elanga’s second goal once again brought the visitors level, setting up a tense contest.

However, the momentum shifted decisively before the break when teenage sensation Lamine Yamal converted a penalty to hand Barcelona a 3-2 advantage at half-time.

The second half was a one-sided affair. Fermín extended the lead shortly after the restart, before Robert Lewandowski struck twice-first with a composed finish and then with a powerful header, to make it 6-2. Raphinha capped the rout late on, punishing a defensive error to seal a comprehensive victory.

Barcelona dominated possession throughout, dictating the tempo and creating chances at will, while Newcastle struggled to cope with the relentless pressure.

The emphatic win sends Barcelona into the quarter-finals as one of the competition’s most in-form sides, while Newcastle exit the tournament after conceding one of their heaviest defeats in Europe in recent years.