Barcelona vs Newcastle United, 2002/03 UEFA Champions League, 2002 Second Phase

· UEFA Champions League

Barcelona

7': Dani García
35': Patrick Kluivert
58': Thiago Motta

FT
3 - 1

Newcastle United

24': Shola Ameobi

About

Barcelona are hosting Newcastle United at Camp Nou, , Spain, starting on . The match is a part of the UEFA Champions League.

Match Timeline

0': Barca get the game under way - and the ball is soon played back to keeper Oscar Bonano
0': It's soon played out again - but a miscontrol gives Newcastle a throw inside the Barcelona half
1': The home side win it back, and Overmars forces an early corner following a good Andy Griffin challenge...
2': That brings another corner, which is met by Cocu but directed over the crossbar
3': Encouraging moments for a Barca side under increasing fire for their league form
3': In the Champions League, though, they're unstoppable - nine wins from nine so far
3': Solano loses out for Newcastle and Riquelme takes it on... then Overmars finds Kluivert...
4': But the Dutchman makes a mess of his touch and Newcastle breathe again
4': Kluivert then feeds Dani, and Newcastle, under the cosh in these opening stages, concede another corner
5': Shola Ameobi is back to head clear, and Barca have to settle for a throw
5': They look for Motta, and O'Brien is there to clear Toon Army lines
5': Robert comes forward, but an offside flag halts that promising break in its tracks
6': Overmars looks for Kluivert, and Aaron Hughes has to concede another Barcelona corner...
7': O'Brien gets there - Motta takes it on and sees his shot blocked, but Barca build again and Dani is there to slide the ball into the corner after Xavi's pass. A nightmare start for Newcastle!
8': Great finishing from Dani, crisply across Shay Given, and relief for under-pressure Barca coach van Gaal
9': What can Newcastle - minus, of course, Shearer and Bellamy tonight - find in response?
10': Sir Bobby Robson's side are giving the ball away on the rare occasions they have it - Barca are snapping in and piling on the pressure
10': Lua Lua charges forward - Robert fires in a low cross and Solano can't quite convert with the home defence struggling somewhat
11': Straight to the other end - Riquleme shoots, and Newcastle block
11': Motta and Dani link again, and the busy Overmars has it again... he tumbles inside the area under a challenge but the ref waves play on
12': Lua Lua breaks and looks for Ameobi - it's cleared... Solano crosses and Michael Reiziger is the defender in the right place
12': Good response from Newcastle, who are showing that they can string together some good attacking moves here
13': Solano gets another cross in, which Reiziger swings at and misses - he gets away with it but has injured himself in taking a swing at that one...
14': Play is stopped, and the Dutch international is receiving treatment. He may well have to come off here...
14': Philippe Christanval is brought on in his place - an early and unwanted change for Barcelona
15': Barca come forward again - they win another corner in what has been a very positive start overall...
16': That's cleared, but the home side have an ominous zip about much of their forward momentum
17': Another Barca setback - Philip Cocu is injured and has to come off. He's replaced by Mendieta...
18': ...and the home side have been forced into two very early substitutions here
19': They attack again and win another corner, which Given deals with safely
20': Forward come Newcastle, and the referee sees a challenge he didn't like
21': The result of that is a free-kick in a potentially threatening position - could this be a chance for the equaliser?
22': It's cleared away, but this is a good little spell by the Toon and they come forward once again...
23': Dyer finds himself space and room in the area and slides the ball to an unmarked Shola Ameobi...
24': And the stand-in striker finds a superb finish, striking the ball low beyond the stranded Bonano. Newcastle are level - it's 1-1!
25': Overmars has the ball as Barca look to hit back - they win a free-kick midway inside the Newcastle half...
26': Frank de Boer tries an ambitious shot from a long way out, and sees it speed wide of Given's goal
26': The small-ish crowd stunned by Newcastle's leveller... Motta, meanwhile, is fouled by Dyer inside the Newcastle half
27': But Barcelona give the ball away - that equaliser has rattled their confidence
28': Overmars crosses, Kluivert tries to get on the end of it - O'Brien gets there to avert the danger
28': Bernard gets there well as Motta tries to thread the ball into the penalty area - Barca build again through Mendieta...
29': Overmars takes it on, but Given gets there to deal with the situation for Newcastle
29': Yet again, it's Overmars - and again it's Griffin getting in his way. Dani puts in a cross and Barcelona have yet another corner to their name...
30': Xavi swings the ball deep into the Newcastle penalty area, where it's well dealt with
31': Dyer makes a brilliant run down the right - his cross is desperately cleared with Ameobi waiting. Newcastle's first corner
32': It's deep, and cleared... Ameobi plays it back in and Barcelona clear once more
32': But the home side are looking uncertain, especially from Newcastle balls into the box
33': Newcastle's confidence is visibly soaring - Ameobi crosses and Solano tries his luck. Bonano makes a good stop
34': Ameobi and Lua Lua combine - the latter plays it in, but it's not the best of passes and is scraped out of danger
35': Another good sign for former Barca boss Robson and his side
35': But out of the blue, Barcelona regain the lead - Overmars feeds Kluivert, and he slides home a low effort from 17 yards. 2-1 Barca, and that's against the current run of play!
36': Cruel for the visitors, who had put together that excellent spell following their equaliser. Now they must do it all again
37': Mendieta bursts forward - Nolberto Solano is in the right place with an excellent challenge
38': Sub Christanval makes a good break, and wins his side a corner...
39': It results in a frantic scramble, but the referee has spotted a foul and the whistle goes in any case
40': Overmars has been outstanding - he looks for Dani and he's a whisker away from making it 3-1
41': Riquelme slaps in a shot from distance - wide of the post. Not long left until the break
42': No sign of yesterday's Blackpool in summer-style downpours - the pitch, covered in puddles 24 hours ago, looks pristine
42': And Barca are zipping the ball about on it now, building - yet again - down the left. All their threat has come from there
43': It's Mendieta who crosses this time, but it's a poor one and easy for Given to gather
44': Motta tries to find Mendieta inside the area, but the pass sells him short and Newcastle can block
45': Puyol crosses, Hughes clears. Two minutes of added time will be played at the end of this half
45': Robert tries an effort from the edge of the area after some good build-up - wayward is the word, however, and it disappears into the stands
45': That's the half-time whistle - Barcelona lead 2-1, but Newcastle are by no means out of the picture
46': Newcastle start the second half - they can be pretty proud of how they've played so far
46': The ball is back with Given, who clears long - Barcelona have a free-kick for a foul by Lua Lua
46': Forward it goes, but harmlessly - Newcastle get that out of danger with no problems
47': Then Robert tries another effort - again, it's wayward: very high and very wide
48': Kluivert helps on a long goal-kick, but O'Brien stops anything developing from that touch
49': Robert's backheel goes astray, but Bernard steps in to retain possession... the travelling fans make themselves heard
49': Solano does very well as Mendieta tries to twist into the area - Newcastle come forward but give it away
50': Ameobi plays Lua Lua in on the corner of the area - he strikes a powerful shot, which flies wide of the near post. Decent chance, decent effort
51': Kluivert and Motta link - Puyol appears on the right, and Dyer gets a challenge in as the ball falls to Dani
52': Solano breaks down the right - Ameobi meets his cross and the effort is inches wide
53': Barca have a free-kick, which is transformed into a complete waste of time by the most aimless of hoofs into the area
53': They win it back - Mendieta hits a low effort and Speed intercepts. Corner...
54': It brings a chance for Dani, who gets completely under the ball and sends it soaring towards the moon. Roughly
55': Ameobi battles for a ball into the Barcelona box, but the referee deems his challenge to have been a foul
56': Solano finds Dyer on the right, and Newcastle earn themselves a corner
56': Ameobi meets it and the ball is cleared off the line - Overmars comes breaking away... O'Brien makes a top-quality challenge
56': Juan Riquelme the Barca player who saved his side from being pegged back by Newcastle once more
57': Dani crosses, the ball deflects and Griffin luges in to deny Overmars any chance of converting. It's a corner...
58': And it's a goal - Motta gets a header in, and the ball creeps over the line despite Dyer's attempt to stop it. It's 3-1 - and that's harsh on Newcastle
59': A huge setback for the Toon Army, whose start to this second half has been purposeful but unrewarded
60': Overmars chases, Given comes to meet him - and gets the crucial interception
60': Dyer tries his luck after a Speed touch, and sees his effort soar over the bar
61': Dani gets into the area and tumbles over - Kluivert follows up and sees his shot blocked. Another Barca flag-kick
62': This one is headed safely clear, but Barca have been buoyed by their third goal and come forward once again
63': Motta crosses low and Kluivert can't quite convert it into a goal - good move
64': More Barcelona possession: they've discovered a bit more fluency now
65': Overmars almost gets a chance from a ricochet off Hughes, but the outcome of that is a goal-kick
66': Free-kick Newcastle - some way out but Robert seems interested...
66': He shouldn't have bothered - another wild effort is the result
67': Speed prods the ball forward for Newcastle, but it evades everyone and Barcelona have possession back rather cheaply
68': Nol Solano as Newcastle get it back... Dyer takes over but this is all rather backwards and sideways in its nature
69': Robert loses the ball and Barcelona will build from the back now
70': Kluivert and Christanval... but Newcastle win it back and Ameobi gets into the area to fire in a low shot. Bonano makes a fine stop
71': Another good effort, and Ameobi has had a very impressive game tonight
71': In comes Kluivert as Barca move forward quickly - he gets to the ball ahead of Given but prods it fractionally wide of the far post. Could so easily have been 4-1 to Barca there...
72': Robert's control - not for the first time - lets him down. Barca throw
73': Huge cheers round the ground - Real Madrid are losing at home to Lokomotiv Moscow
74': That's cheered up the home faithful, who seemed to be losing interest in the game being played out in front of them
75': Over-elaboration takes the steam out of a Barca attack following great work by Overmars, who elected to pass rather than shoot from the edge of the area
76': The home fans less happy now - Real Madrid have found an equaliser
76': Robert swings wildly at a cross and hits fresh air, Solano and Speed keep things going but Barca intercept and break...
77': Newcastle snuff out the danger and look to launch an attack of their own. Lua Lua is unable to get to that ball forward, and the home side will tidy up
78': Puyol concedes a corner under pressure from Robert: is there still hope for the Magpies?
78': Speed meets it and sends a firm header over the top. Dani comes off and Saviola replaces him with the match winding towards a conclusion
79': Overmars works a quick free-kick with Kluivert to bring himself a shooting chance, which he scuffs straight at Given
80': Looks like a Newcastle change is in the offing... activity on the touchline. In the meantime, Newcastle have a free-kick
81': But they give possession away a bit too easily, and the chances of a comeback look slim indeed
82': Riquelme looks for Saviola down the middle, and a narrow offside decision is all that stops the substitute having a clear run on goal
83': Puyol does well, steaming down the middle and - just about - keeping his footing. He whacks in a shot, and Given makes an excellent stop
84': From the corner, Kluivert gets a header in and sees it only just go wide
84': Michael Chopra comes on for Newcastle, with Lua Lua making way for him
85': Overmars crosses low for the umpteenth time, and Saviola's shot is superbly blocked by Hughes. Corner...
85': Overmars shoots from the edge of the area after the corner is cleared - it's well-struck but too close to Given
86': Dyer does brilliantly to find space and almost finds Chopra: Bonano gets there ahead of him
87': Bernard makes a determined run, but the final ball is neither cross nor shot and causes the home defence no problems
88': Saviola crosses, Kluivert follows up... it's carnage in the Newcastle area but Given, eventually, is able to hack the ball out of harm's way
89': Mendieta tries to cross, Bernard blocks. The home side thoroughly on top of the game as we enter the last couple of minutes
89': Ameobi is penalised for pushing Puyol - he reacts angrily and gets a yellow card for that. Shame - he's been Newcastle's star player on the night
90': We're into injury time - Newcastle have played bravely but look set to succumb to a 3-1 defeat
90': And that turns out to be the final score - spirited, but to no avail. It's Barcelona who take the spoils

Game Information

Competition: UEFA Champions League

Venue: Camp Nou
Location: , Spain
Attendance: 45,100

UEFA Champions League Table

#	TEAM	GP	GD	PTS
1	Ajax Amsterdam	0	0	0
2	Arsenal	0	0	0
3	Atalanta	0	0	0
4	Athletic Club	0	0	0

Full Table

Line-Ups

Barcelona

No.	Name
1	Roberto Bonano (GK)
2	Michael Reiziger
3	Frank de Boer
5	Carles Puyol
8	Phillip Cocu
10	Juan Román Riquelme
6	Xavi
31	Thiago Motta
11	Marc Overmars
9	Patrick Kluivert
19	Dani García

Barcelona Substitutes:

Robert Enke, Philippe Christanval, Gerard Lopez, Fabio Rochemback, Gaizka Mendieta, Deiberson Mauricio Geovanni, Javier Saviola.

Newcastle United

No.	Name
1	Shay Given (GK)
12	Andy Griffin
5	Andy O'Brien
18	Aaron Hughes
35	Olivier Bernard
4	Nolberto Solano
8	Kieron Courtney Dyer
11	Gary Speed
32	Laurent Robert
20	Lomana Tresor LuaLua
23	Shola Ameobi

Newcastle United Substitutes:

Steve Harper, Steven Caldwell, Nikos Dabizas, Clarence Acuna, Jermaine Jenas, Michael Chopra, Carl Cort.

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