Newcastle United's task against Manchester City hasn't got any easier after Pep Guardiola and co were dumped out of the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid. But if you were looking for a slight scrape in their armour it may have came thanks to an unwanted bout of extra time.
If anything the high octane encounter demonstrated how high the bar is for Newcastle in the long-term when it comes to reaching the elite level that the owners have talked about since buying the club last October. But when Rodrygo's two injury time goals signalled extra time in the Bernabéu let's face it, the same thought all crossed most of our minds - that the extra period could help Newcastle's cause on Sunday.
Although that is a dangerous trap to fall into even if Guardiola's men will be feeling dejected on their journey back from Madrid. What we can say is that Newcastle - who have had a week to prepare - will be the fresher of the two sides and that Man City's unwanted and draining extra time period won't do the Magpies any harm.
