Barca

  Eddie Howe has urged his players to become Newcastle legends by emulating the club’s famous 1997 Champions League win over Barcelona when they face the Spanish giants in the last-16 first leg. Newcastle host the La Liga leaders on Tuesday in a potentially life-changing moment for Howe’s side. Fans still talk in reverential tones about Faustino Asprilla’s hat-trick and Keith Gillespie’s brilliant performance in the Magpies’ 3-2 win over Barca in the Champions League group stage 29 years ago. Howe, then starting his playing career at Bournemouth, watched that remarkable match on television as a teenager. Now, Howe and company have a chance to etch their own names in the annals of Newcastle history by defeating Hansi Flick’s star-studded team. “Yes, I watched the game. I was very focused on my playing career. But you couldn’t watch that moment. It was one of those legendary games,” Howe told reporters on Monday. “Of course, we want people in future years to be talking about this team. Tino Asprilla gets a hat-trick from those Keith Gillespie deliveries on the right. “I’d want our players to be talked about the same way in 20 or 30 years.” Newcastle have made it to the Champions League last 16 for only the second time. Howe is well aware of the magnitude of the achievement after he arrived at Newcastle in 2021 with the club in disarray. Together with the financial muscle provided by Newcastle’s Saudi owners, Howe has transformed the club from laughing stock status. – ‘A moment for us to grab’ – Newcastle won their first trophy in 56 years when they shocked Liverpool in the League Cup final last season. Beating Barcelona would be an even greater feat for Howe, who urged his players to seize what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “There are only 16 teams left, and we are one of them. It is very much an opportunity to grab a moment that we may never get again. You don’t know what life brings tomorrow, let alone future seasons,” Howe said. “We don’t want to kick ourselves, we don’t want to waste the opportunity and think what ifs. “So this is a moment for us to grab. In my time here, just over four years, we have worked to get to this point. “As long as we perform to our maximum, we have to accept the result.” Having labelled the Barca game as the biggest match in Newcastle’s history, Howe said adopting an underdog mentality could help stun the five-time European champions. “That’s very much the mentality we need, rising to the occasion, embracing the size of the game,” he said. “The underdog role to a degree in my time here has helped us in my time here, when we have been in that situation when we felt the odds were stacked against us. “We are going to need to use every psychological tool because there’s no denying we are playing a very good team, an outstandingly well-coached team. “All our Champions League games have been a great rehearsal for this moment.” Newcastle have already faced Barca this season, losing 2-1 at home in the group stage thanks to a Marcus Rashford double. “When you are playing the very best teams, you take a lot of that with you going forward,” Howe said. “We can take a lot from the performance. Hopefully, we can learn lessons from that tie.” AFP