Newcastle United experienced a devastating case of deja vu on Tuesday night, as a 95th-minute penalty from Lamine Yamal snatched a 1-1 draw for Barcelona, leaving the Magpies crestfallen in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
St. James’ Park was on the verge of erupting in celebration of a famous victory.
Forward Harvey Barnes thought he had written himself into folklore, firing home a first-time finish in the 85th minute to give the home side a deserved lead against the five-time European champions.
The stadium roared, and the clock ticked down towards a momentous win.
However, in the final seconds of stoppage time, disaster struck.
A pass from Raphinha found Dani Olmo inside the box, and a desperate lunge from Malick Thiaw brought the Barcelona midfielder down.
Referee Marco Guida pointed to the spot, silencing the Geordie faithful.
Lamine Yamal stepped up with ice-cool composure, sending goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale the wrong way to level the score with the last kick of the game.
"I'm just devastated for everybody that we couldn't get the win that we all deserved," a crestfallen Eddie Howe told reporters after the match.
"That's football for you. It never plays to romance. It does what it does and now we have to dust ourselves down."
The sense of missed opportunity was palpable in the Newcastle dressing room.
Barnes, who had walked off to a standing ovation just moments earlier, watched from the bench with his hands on his head as the victory slipped away.
"The way it ended is a tough one to take," Barnes told TNT Sports. "But we have to remember it is only halfway through the tie."
Despite the cruel ending, there were significant positives for Howe.
His side more than matched the La Liga leaders, with 21-year-old Lewis Hall delivering an "outstanding" performance (in Howe's words) against the dangerous Lamine Yamal, restricting the Spaniard to minimal impact.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick acknowledged his side's struggle, admitting: "With the ball we didn't make a good game. We lost too many balls."
Newcastle must now travel to the Nou Camp for the second leg next week, needing a herculean effort to progress.
While the 1-1 draw leaves the tie level, the psychological blow of conceding so late leaves Howe's men with a mountain to climb.
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