"It was a crazy game. We weren't sharp in the first half, but we improved in the second. We kept possession. That third goal of ours gave us the chance to get back into the game. In the first half we played a lot of direct balls and lost possession too often. Against an opponent so good at transitions, that wasn't what we wanted."
"Raphinha scored two and set up another pair of goals, though Barcelona were hanging in the balance after Anthony Elanga's first-half brace made it 2-2. Lamine Yamal's penalty on the stroke of half-time calmed the nerves before Fermin Lopez's 51st-minute finish eased the LaLiga leaders out of sight."
"Raphinha now has 33 goal involvements (19 goals, 14 assists) in 33 Champions League games; only Erling Haaland (22), Ruud van Nistelrooy (28), Kylian Mbappe (30), and Luis Suarez (31) reached 30+ in fewer appearances in the competition."
Barcelona secured a dominant 7-2 victory over Newcastle United in a chaotic Champions League second leg, advancing 8-3 on aggregate. Despite a shaky first half where Newcastle equalized at 2-2 through Anthony Elanga's brace, Barcelona regained control after Lamine Yamal's penalty before half-time. Fermin Lopez's 51st-minute goal provided crucial breathing room, followed by Robert Lewandowski's late brace and Raphinha's final finish. Manager Hansi Flick acknowledged the team's poor first-half performance with excessive direct play and possession loss, but praised their second-half improvements in controlling the game and maintaining their low block. The victory represents Barcelona's largest margin against an English opponent since 1966.
Read at Soccer News
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