Raphinha Tears Shirt in Frustration After Barcelona Draw with Newcastle, photo
- Raphinha was seen tearing his shirt in anger after Barcelona were held to a dramatic draw by Newcastle United
- Barcelona salvaged a 1-1 result thanks to a stoppage-time penalty from Lamine Yamal, denying Newcastle a crucial first-leg victory
- Raphinha’s emotional reaction came as the Brazilian winger extended his scoring drought to six matches, highlighting his recent struggles
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Newcastle United conceded a late equaliser to FC Barcelona, as their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 first leg ended in a dramatic 1-1 draw at St James’ Park, with Raphinha left frustrated.
The English side appeared to be heading for a valuable first-leg victory before a stoppage-time penalty from Lamine Yamal rescued the visitors and halted Barcelona’s four-match winning streak in all competitions.
Source: Getty Images
Newcastle take lead against Barcelona
According to Flashscore, both teams produced a closely contested opening half, with neither side able to establish clear dominance. Newcastle showed early intent and looked particularly sharp after the interval.
One promising move saw William Osula race onto a well-weighted through pass from Lewis Hall, but the striker failed to keep his effort on target as the ball sailed over the crossbar.
Barcelona attempted to respond through their own attacking threats. Raphinha delivered a dangerous low cross into the penalty area, yet veteran striker Robert Lewandowski surprisingly dragged his finish wide, missing a golden opportunity to put the visitors ahead.
The Magpies continued to push forward and came agonisingly close in the 74th minute. Harvey Barnes curled a precise effort that struck the post, and although Joelinton reacted quickly to score from the rebound, the goal was ruled out for offside.
Newcastle finally broke the deadlock with just four minutes remaining. Barnes found space in the penalty area and calmly volleyed home from Murphy’s perfectly delivered cross, sparking wild celebrations among the home supporters.
However, the hosts’ celebrations were cut short in heartbreaking fashion. Deep into stoppage time, Malick Thiaw fouled Dani Olmo inside the penalty area, leaving the referee with little choice but to award a spot kick.
Yamal stepped up and confidently converted the penalty, snatching a late equaliser and silencing the St James’ Park crowd. The result leaves the tie finely balanced ahead of the second leg in Spain.
Source: Getty Images
It was a cruel ending for Newcastle, who had looked set to secure an important advantage before travelling to Catalonia.
Raphina tears Barcelona shirt apart
Meanwhile, Barcelona winger Raphinha endured another frustrating evening. The Brazilian has recently returned from injury but has struggled to rediscover the remarkable form that earned him La Liga Player of the Season last year.
His disappointment was evident after the match, where he was seen angrily tearing at his shirt following the final whistle, as Barcablaugranes and DAZN Futbol covered.
The ex-Leeds United attacker has now gone six matches without scoring for Barcelona, an unusual dry spell for the 29-year-old attacker as the Spanish giants search for greater attacking consistency.
Raphinha's injury woes
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Raphinha had been dealing with injury setbacks before recently returning to action for FC Barcelona.
His comeback came just in time ahead of Barcelona’s important fixture against Girona FC on February 16, boosting the squad’s attacking options.
Source: YEN.com.gh
