Rampant Barca leave Magpies trailing

Barcelona 3 Newcastle 1

However, the 69-year former Barca boss, who had walked into the stadium he knows so well with a lump in his throat, left it with his head held high after a side shorn of the services of suspended duo Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy briefly threatened to upset the odds and never gave up hope of a remarkable comeback.

Goals from Dani, Patrick Kluivert and Thiago Motta were more than enough to give the Spaniards the points and they might have won even more handsomely. But Shola Ameobi, who cancelled out Dani’s seventh-minute strike within 17 minutes, could have had hat-trick but for the efforts of keeper Roberto Bonano and Juan Riquelme’s goal-line clearance.

The Catalan side, who have not won any of their last four Primera Liga games, were only very briefly in trouble either side of half-time as Marc Overmars caused Andy Griffin all kinds of problems down the United right, with Riquelme giving Kluivert every opportunity to test Shay Given.

But the Magpies never gave up hope as Ameobi and Lomana LuaLua gave spirited displays in a fledgling frontline pairing which could have paid even greater dividends than it did.

Barca tore out of the blocks and Kluivert had already squandered a golden opportunity when Dani spared his blushes with an expert finish.

Aaron Hughes was detailed to keep an eye on the Spanish international, but the Irishman was left for dead when Xavi picked out his team-mate at the far post with seven minutes gone. Hughes was chasing shadows as the striker raced away and dispatched a well-placed volley past Given and into the far corner to condemn Robson’s side to yet another early reverse.

To their credit, United did not run up the white flag, and with the Spaniards losing both Michael Reiziger and Phillip Cocu through injury in quick succession, they found a foothold in the game.

Nolberto Solano, who was finding plenty of space on the right, cut inside and squared for Kieron Dyer, who in turn rolled the ball into Ameobi’s path. The Nigerian-born striker sent an inch-perfect shot past Bonano.

Inevitably, Overmars redressed the balance 10 minutes before the break when he mesmerised Griffin once again before squared for Kluivert to atone for his earlier error with an accomplished left-foot finish.

The visitors returned after half-time determined to have a real go, with 21-year-old Ameobi leading the fight.

He powered a 52nd-minute header a foot wide from a Solano cross and then saw an even better effort hacked off the line by Riquelme.

But just as their hopes were raised, they were torn apart when midfielder Motta got the slightest of touches on a Riquelme corner to deflect the ball over the line despite Dyer’s best efforts on the far post.

BARCELONA: Bonano, Reiziger (Christanval 15), de Boer, Puyol, Cocu (Mendieta 16), Riquelme, Xavi, Motta, Overmars, Kluivert, Dani (Saviola 78).

NEWCASTLE: Given, Griffin, O’Brien, Hughes, Bernard, Solano, Dyer, Speed, Robert, LuaLua (Chopra 84), Ameobi.

Referee: Frank De Bleecker (Belgium).