Ground number 166 revisited (1st visited 1997)
(131st competitive European game in a row and heaviest defeat!)
Date of Visit: 18th March 2026
FC Barcelona 7
Newcastle United 2
Champions League round of 16, 2nd leg
Barcelona win 8-2 on aggregate
Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
Attendance: 56,662 (2,986 shell shocked Toon fans) We heard that 60 or so got in through a corperate gate which woz mistaykenlee left open!
"WELCOME TO 'L' !"👹 ⬆️
It iz with a very heavy heart that The Geordie Times writes this artice after the heaviest defeat in NUFCs European history, stretchin back 58 years to 1968!
The Camp Nou, iz a vertual buildin site, az they put the final layer on the 4th tier of the stadium, with tower cranes everywhere! The capaciy for this game woz set at 65,000 and when its completed it will hold a staggerin 105,000!⬇️ (Twice the size of SJP!) “REACH FOR THE SKY!”⬇️
*It didnt take Barca lang to take the lead az they attacked the far goal from where we were housed! Both Malik Thaiw and Lewis Hall were at fault, when Raphinha fired past Aaron Ramsey in wor goal, after just 5 minutes play! 1-0 to them!
We fought back however, when Harvey Barnes crossed for Anthony Elanga to hit a sweet shot past Garcia in the Catalans goal in the 15th minute! 1-1
More shockin defendin from us saw Barca retake the lead in the 18th minute, az we still celebrated Elanga's goal, when Dan Burn missed a cross--and Martin heeded the baall doon for Bernal, who finished from close range! 2-1 to them!
Again we fought back and equalised for the second time when Harvey Barnes again supplied Anthony Elanga, who hit a fiece shot into the goal in the 28th minute! 2-2
Elanga woz then denied a clear cut penalty az the ref inexplicably waved 'play on', after he woz fouled in the box!
However, 5 minutes into forst half stoppage time, Kieran Trippier needlessly pulled Raphina's shirt —and after a VAR check by the French ref, he pointed to the spot!---Yamal took it and Aaron Ramsey woz unlucky not to stop the baall enterin the net! HT 3-2 to them! (Nee justice!)
The 2nd half woz the stuff of nightmares, when FOUR more bad defensive misstayks, saw us faall apart!
Forstly, Raphina waaked through wor defence like it didnt exist, to set up Firmin for an easy chance to increase their lead in the 50th minute of the game! 4-2 to them!
Sandro Tonali then went doon, with what looked like a groin injury and we fear he will miss the Tyne-wear deby match on Sunday! (Thats aall we need!)
It then went from bad to worse when they added a 5th in the 55th minute Lewandowski heeded past Ramsdale, who really should have done better, az the baall entered the corner of the goal! 5-2 to them!
Number 6 came from Lewandowski again, just 5 minutes after hiz forst goal, when he easily evaded Malik Thaiw to score, with the goal gaping! 6-2 to them!
The final nail in wor coffin came after a disastrous kick from Aaron Ramsdale went straight to Raphina inside the penalty area and he must have thought it woz Christmas again, az he simply fired the baall straight into the net, to complete the rout in the 72nd minute, az Ramsdale and the rest of the team looked shattered and distraught!
7-2 to them!!! The near 3,000 Toon Travellers were in section 'L' of the stadium ("Welcome to 'L'!" perhaps!) and looked shattered and distraught az well, believe you me, az we prayed that wor calamatous defendin would'nt concede an 8th, or even a 9th goal!---
Thankfully wor prayers were answered on the THAT SCORE, ANYWAY! az the ref mercifully blew hiz whistle bang on the 90 minute mark, with not one second of stoppage time added, when there should have been at least 5 minutes added, due to Sandro Tonali's injury and 7 or so substitutions from both sides in the 2nd period! (30 seconds per sub are the rules!)e
Summery: Withoot doubt this woz the worst ever rearguard display from an NUFC team, az EVERY goal conceded were from horrendous missstaykes!😱
Just HOW Eddie HOWE can lift the team for Sunday's derby, iz anybodys guess???---Will we get a Mr Hyde performance again, OR a Dr. Jekyll, one????
(Match report updated periodically and should be completed by Friday afternooon---so keep loggin in for updates and match pix)
BOOZER CRAWL PIX ***
17 VISITED IN TOTAL ON THE WAY TO BARCELONA AND ON THE WAY BACK
TOON AIRPORT⬇️ LIQUID LUBRICATION LOCATION ONE
BARCELONA⬇️LIQUID LUBRICATION LOCATION TWO
LIQUID LUBRICATION LOCATION (LLL) THREE⬇️
LLL FOWER (4)⬇️
LLL FIVE⬇️
LLL six NOT!—NAMED AND SHAMED!They didn’t want us in the bar and so we left!— Their loss not wors!⬇️
LLL SIX They DID welcome us with open arms! ⬇️
LLL TEN⬇️Mercure hotel bar
LLL SIXTEEN ——AFTER THE MATCH! ⬇️😱
DROWNING WOR ⬆️SORROWS IN THE ABOVE BOOZER! THE PICTURE ON THE WALL SEZ IT AALL!⬇️
AND FINALLY! LLL SEVENTEEN AT BARCELONA AIRPORT⬇️🛫
BARCELONA METRO MAP
Posted on Tuezday⬇️
This iz the biggest European game in wor history--and to progress further than we have ever been, to the Champions Leegue Roond of 8, we MUST beat The Catalan Giants in their own stadium!
Barca, of course will be favourites to gan through after snatchin a last gasp penalty to cancel oot Harvey Barnes goal in the 85th minute, last week!
Az we write ✍️ this on the day before the match, we just divvint naa wot the squad for this game will be?---But hopefully its a strong one!
There won't be a match report til we get back to Tyneside, so it will probably be online sometime between 'high noon bells' on Friday OR later on that day!
In the meeentime we will endevour to post az many boozer pictures az possible, az we dee then, provided we can get a good internet connection!?---With 10,000 Toon fans predicted to travel, most of them will have to be content on watchin on from one of the many boozers in The Ramblas area in the centre of Barcelona!
We understand that we have received just under 3,000 tickets for the away section!----In a revised capacity of ower 62,000 durin rebuildin work at Camp Nou ----and when its finally completed it will hold a mind bogglin 105,000!
We've got a great chance of gannin where, "No Toon team have gone before!" (The last 8 in The Champions Leegue)
"HOWAY THE LADS!"
