UCL: “they taught us a lesson”, Gordon after Newcastle 1-2 Barça
Newcastle United forward Anthony Gordon admitted he had never played against a team like Barcelona before.
L’attaquant de Newcasrle, Anthony Gordon@Daily Post
Beaten 2-1 by FC Barcelona on Thursday night at St James’ Park, Newcastle came up against an opponent on a completely different level. The scorer of the Magpies’ only goal in stoppage time, Anthony Gordon admitted he had “never played against a team of this level.”
Barça, led by a brilliant Marcus Rashford who scored a brace, got the better of Eddie Howe’s men. Although Newcastle reduced the deficit right at the end, the Catalans largely controlled the game and never really gave the English a proper chance to equalize.
Asked by BeIN Sports, the England international did not hide his admiration: « Their ball retention was a real lesson. In England we face teams like City, Liverpool, Chelsea or Arsenal, but this Barça is on another level. Their fluidity, their movements, their combinations in midfield made pressing almost impossible. »
And he added: « We are a physical team that presses with intensity, but credit where it’s due: they really put in a great performance. »