Wayne Rooney, who won the Champions League with Manchester United in 2008, believes Barcelona’s performance in their round-of-16 draw against Newcastle proves they struggle to cope with the tempo and intensity of Premier League play.
Hansi Flick’s team looked set for a first-leg defeat at St James’ Park after falling behind to Harvey Barnes’ 86th-minute strike. However, Lamine Yamal rescued a draw for the Catalans with the last kick of the game from the penalty spot.
Appearing on the “Stick To Football” podcast, Rooney also referenced Barcelona’s 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in the league phase in London.
Second leg looks brighter for Barça
Barcelona will be favorites to win the second leg at Spotify Camp Nou and progress to the quarterfinals. Still, Rooney hinted he doesn’t believe they will have what it takes to win the competition if they face more English opposition.
However, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Tottenham all appear headed for early exits after three-goal defeats in the first leg. That would leave only Arsenal and Liverpool as possible Premier League rivals if Barcelona get past Newcastle.
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