Lamine Yamal breaks Newcastle’s hearts with stoppage-time penalty

Lamine Yamal denied Newcastle a priceless victory with the final kick of the game as Barcelona snatched a draw which sends them into next week’s return as favourites to make the Champions League quarter-finals.

The Spain international struck from the penalty spot in the sixth minute of added time to cancel out Harvey Barnes’ 86th-minute opener after substitute Dani Olmo had been tripped by defender Malick Thiaw.

Eddie Howe’s men were left to lick their wounds but when the dust settles, they will be able to reflect upon a performance which made life distinctly uncomfortable for the five-time winners, who knew they were in a game on the night and will have to steel themselves for more of the same on their own pitch.

Just how different things might have been had Anthony Gordon not been reduced to the role of substitute by illness his side will never know, but his absence prompted head coach Eddie Howe to make a big decision when he asked Will Osula, rather than big-money signings Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, to replace him.

Osula might have got the hosts off to the perfect start after being played in behind the visitors’ defence by Lewis Hall’s sixth-minute pass, but he delayed his shot and Gerard Martin recovered to block his attempt.

Ramsdale tipped Yamal’s drive into the side-netting two minutes later, but Osula headed just over from Anthony Elanga’s cross after Burn had picked out Kieran Trippier with a raking crossfield pass.

Elanga saw a speculative 33rd-minute effort saved comfortably, but Fermin Lopez whipped a snap-shot straight into Ramsdale’s arms three minutes later as Barca responded.

Garcia picked off Elanga’s inviting 57th-minute cross after Osula played him in behind Pau Cubarsi and then tried to get on the end of his ball, and Barnes forced a save from the keeper seconds later.

He was in the right place at the right time to convert substitute Jacob Murphy’s cross four minutes from time to send the locals into raptures.

However with seconds remaining, Olmo went down under Thiaw’s challenge and Italian referee Marco Guida pointed to the spot. Yamal made no mistake to break black and white hearts.