Joelinton lifts lid on ‘extra special’ Newcastle United sight and delivers take on Nick Woltemade

Barcelona – Joelinton has spent the past two seasons flying to Catalonia for pain-killing injections and medical consultations, but the Newcastle United midfielder insists his latest trip to the Catalan capital will carry a far happier purpose: propelling the Magpies into uncharted European territory.

Speaking on the eve of the Champions League last-16 second leg at the Nou Camp, the Brazil international said the presence of 10,000 travelling supporters has already transformed the city into a black-and-white carnival and believes the noise generated by the travelling Geordies can help Newcastle secure a quarter-final berth and a £10 million windfall that would push their European prize money beyond £60 million for the campaign.

“I have been to Barcelona a few times in the last few seasons for injections, but I am happy to be there to play this time,” Joelinton told ChronicleLive. “I hope we can go to the Nou Camp and perform well. We have confidence and the belief to go through. To be fair, the last few games we have been playing much better and picked up points against Chelsea and Manchester United. We held Barcelona too and we have more and more confidence each game now.”

An estimated 7,000 fans have made the journey without match tickets, flooding La Rambla hours before kick-off. Joelinton, who came off the bench during Saturday’s 1-0 Premier League win at Chelsea – Newcastle’s first at Stamford Bridge since 2012 – said the squad is determined to reward the travelling hordes.

“To see 10,000 Geordies in Barcelona is incredible. They will be very important for us. If we give our best we can give them a result.”

The 1-0 victory in west London, secured with a clean sheet, has heightened belief in the camp. “It was a massive win away from home,” he added. “We showed a great mentality to get the three points. Going to Chelsea has never been easy and it was my first time to win there.”

Attention now turns to whether head coach Eddie Howe will pair Joelinton with January recruit Nick Woltemade in midfield. The German has featured in the engine room in recent weeks and Joelinton praised the 22-year-old’s adaptability.

“Every time Nick has played there he has done well. I think he has proved every game he has played that he is prepared to give everything to the team wherever he plays. It’s a great thing to see his commitment but hopefully he can continue to improve. If he keeps playing well it can only be a great thing for us.”

With history and a lucrative place in the last eight on the line, Joelinton believes the convergence of form, fitness and fervent support has created a moment the squad must seize.

“We hope they enjoy it and we enjoy with them too.”