Howe sees 'hope' for Newcastle despite blow of Barcelona equaliser

Eddie Howe is confident that Newcastle can defeat Barcelona at the Camp Nou and reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time, even after the setback of a late equaliser that resulted in a 1-1 draw in Tuesday's first leg of the last 16.

Harvey Barnes had put the Magpies ahead with a well-deserved goal just minutes before the end, but Lamine Yamal equalised from the penalty spot with the last action of the match.

Newcastle controlled much of the play as they recovered from their FA Cup exit against Manchester City at the weekend.

Currently in 12th place in the Premier League, Howe's side showed enough quality to challenge the La Liga frontrunners and five-time European winners.

"There's hope, naturally. We trust in our abilities and what we can achieve. Today proved that," Howe commented.

"Our performance was exceptional, truly strong. Maintaining that high energy against them for the full duration was tough.

"That final incident puts a shadow over it, but overall, it ranks among our top showings."

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick admitted the Spanish title holders were fortunate to depart Tyneside with a draw, though he noted he would have accepted a 1-1 result beforehand considering his squad's injury issues.

Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde sat out for the Catalan club, with Eric Garcia benched as a safety measure.

"In possession, we struggled badly. We gave away the ball too often with simple errors," Flick said. "We must improve significantly for the return fixture.

"A 1-1 scoreline suits us well. That's my view."

The teams will clash once more on March 18 for a spot in the last eight.