LAMINE Yamal secured a 1-1 draw for Barcelona with a 96th-minute penalty at St James’s Park to deny Newcastle United a famous win in the UEFA Champions League tonight.
Newcastle looked to have taken control of the first leg of their round of 16 tie when Harvey Barnes fired the hosts in front with a first-time finish late on.
But Barcelona were awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time after substitute Dani Olmo was brought down by Malick Thiaw inside the box.
Up stepped Lamine Yamal, who coolly sent goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale the wrong way to level the tie up before the return fixture at the Nou Camp next week.
It was a sucker punch for Newcastle, who were just seconds from defeating the five-time winners.
With memories still fresh in these parts of the night Newcastle stunned Barcelona in 1997, courtesy of a hat-trick from the watching Tino Asprilla, Eddie Howe’s men looked determined to pull off a landmark result of their own in the first leg.
Barnes duly stepped up with a clever finish from substitute Jacob Murphy’s cross, which Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia failed to keep out, sending the stadium into raptures in the 86th minute.
But there was still time for another late twist and Yamal made it 1-1 with the last kick of the game to ensure Barcelona do not have to overturn a deficit going into the second leg next week.
In Spain, Super Eagles of Nigeria forward had an assist for Atletico Madrid as Tottenham Hotspur’s calamitous season hit a desperate new low.
Spurs goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky was taken off after only 17 minutes in a humbling 5-2 Champions League capitulation at Atletico Madrid.
Kinsky, in for Guglielmo Vicario, twice lost his footing to gift goals to Marcos Llorente and Julian Alvarez – after which he was taken off by interim head coach Igor Tudor.
In between, Micky van de Ven also slipped to allow Antoine Griezmann to score before Robin le Normand added a fourth after only 23 minutes of some of the most remarkable Champions League action of recent times.
Pedro Porro’s goal was only an interruption to Spurs’ misery, Alvarez adding his second 10 minutes after the break with a lightning counter following Jan Oblak’s stunning save from Richarlison.
Tudor will now faces more questions about his future after a fourth-successive loss as the Croatian fails to arrest this rapid descent into crisis.
Kinsky’s hopes of staking a claim ahead of Vicario were shattered after only six minutes when he slipped, sending the ball straight to Lookman, who found Llorente for a composed finish.
It was the start of a mind-blowing passage of play which was embarrassing even in this shocking season for Spurs.
Van de Ven was next to lose his footing to present Griezmann with a second before the hapless Kinsky fell to the floor once more when attempting to clear, allowing Alvarez to walk the ball in.
Tudor had seen enough, putting Kinsky out of his misery sending on Vicario, the 22-year-old Czech being consoled by team-mates, even receiving sympathetic applause from Atletico fans.
The agony was not over for Spurs as Le Normand added a fourth after 22 minutes following a scramble before Porro pulled one back with a low finish.
Atletico keeper Jan Oblak also suffered his own nightmare with clearance, sending one straight to Dominic Solanke to score again for Spurs.
The night however finished on a further worrying note for Spurs. A late clash of heads between between Joao Palhinha and Cristian Romero led to Palhinha being taken off while Romero appeared to still be affected as they finished the match a man down.
In Italy, Michael Olise starred in the absence of Harry Kane as Bayern Munich thrashed Atalanta 6-1 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
England captain Kane was only fit enough for a place on the bench after returning from a calf injury.
But Bayern did not need to call upon their striker as they stormed to a crushing success.
Olise shone, playing a part in their three opening goals as the Bundesliga champions took a commanding lead by the 25th minute.
The French international with Nigerian heritage’s quick corner found an unmarked Serge Gnabry to set up Josip Stanisic to finish from close range for the 12th-minute opener.
Olise added the second 10 minutes later with a curling effort, before he sent Gnabry through to clip over the advancing Marco Carnesecchi in the Atalanta goal.
Nicolas Jackson and Jamal Musiala were also on target, their efforts sandwiched by a second for Olise, as Bayern had six by the 67th minute, before a late Mario Pasalic reply for the hosts in Bergamo.
Victory extended their unbeaten run away from home to nine games and put them in a commanding position for the return at Allianz Arena next week.
With BBC Sport
RESULTS
Atalanta 1-6 Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid 5-2 Tottenham
Newcastle 1-1 Barcelona
