:focal(112x65:114x63)/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/03/18/image-9dd04113-8343-4e69-91f9-33d6b792722e-85-2560-1440.png "UEFA Champions League: Should Kieran Trippier have been sent off for Newcastle United against Barcelona?")
Raphinha offers Barca opener with ‘magnificent’ end after Hall slip
Video credit score: TNT Sports
Barcelona took the lead twice within the first half, however have been pegged again by two good Anthony Elanga objectives as Eddie Howe’s staff contributed to an exhilarating first half of soccer.
Replays confirmed Raphinha bursting into the field and making a run to the again publish as he regarded to get on the tip of Yamal’s low cross, with Trippier carefully following him earlier than tugging the Brazilian down.
“Fabulous ball [from Yamal], an absolutely exquisite ball,” Glenn Hoddle mentioned on TNT Sports commentary.
“It’s on a plate [for Raphinha]. When it happened, I thought, ‘Has Trippier pulled him back?’ Because he knows he’s not goal-side.
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Ruthless Newcastle equalise through Elanga after sublime move
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“He’s held him again, you have to say he is impeded him and stopped him from attending to the ball.
“You just hope he doesn’t give him a red. I think he’ll give the penalty, when he [the referee] looks at this, unfortunately for Trippier.
“He’s pulling him, generally you’ll be able to maintain for a cut up second and get away with it, however I feel he is held onto him for too lengthy. He’s held and held and held, and it is stopped him getting there.”
Referee Francois Letexier brandished a yellow card after awarding the penalty, controversially concluding that Trippier did not deny a goalscoring opportunity.
The official International Football Association Board (IFAB) rule reads: “Where a participant commits an offence against an opponent inside their very own penalty space which denies an opponent an apparent goal-scoring alternative and the referee awards a penalty kick, the offender is cautioned if the offence was an try to play the ball or a problem for the ball; in all different circumstances (e.g. holding, pulling, pushing, no risk to play the ball and many others.), the offending participant should be sent off.”
“I used to be frightened he was going to provide him a purple, however he is given him a yellow and I feel Trippier has received to take that one on the chin and get on with it,” a surprised Hoddle continued on TNT Sports.
“Sometimes you’ll be able to’t blame the defender, the move was so good you are not anticipating a ball to be performed in behind the protection like that. He was enjoying catch-up on the final minute.”
But what did TNT Sports pundit Joleon Lescott think?
“I do not know, it could have positively made it loads more durable [for Newcastle],” he said.
“I would not say so. There’s the factor concerning the double jeopardy with reference to gifting away the foul and also you get the penalty rewarded for that.
“He’s probably just got caught thinking, ‘I don’t want to be like every other full-back in the game so far and not being close to the winger as he’s tapping it into the net’.”
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‘What character!’ – Lightning strikes twice as Elanga ranges AGAIN!
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How to observe Barcelona v Newcastle on TNT Sports
Barcelona v Newcastle takes place on Wednesday, March 18 at Camp Nou.
TNT Sports is accessible throughout all main TV platforms, providing a line-up of as much as 4 TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), and as much as six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.
