Newcastle hearts broken by PSG after stoppage-time penalty - 5 talking points
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 1-1 NEWCASTLE UNITED: Alexander Isak's first-half goal gave Newcastle something to hold on to away to PSG, only for Kylian Mbappe to equalise in stoppage-time
by Tom Victor · The MirrorNewcastle United put in a backs-to-the-wall defensive display away to Paris Saint-Germain, only for a last-gasp Kylian Mbappe penalty to rescue the French side.
After riding out an early flurry from their opponents, Newcastle went in front as Alexander Isak tapped home after Gianluigi Donnarumma couldn't hold Miguel Almiron's shot from the edge of the box. If one goal was going to be enough, though, the visitors would need to be at their very best at the back.
Eddie Howe's team were coming into the game in good spirits, having recorded an impressive 4-1 victory over Chelsea on Saturday. 4-1 was also the final score when PSG came to St James' Park in October, but a trip to the Parc des Princes was a very different prospect.
PSG were able to call upon the talents of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and many more top talents. In the end, though, they needed a stoppage-time penalty to rescue a point, with Mbappe slotting home after Tino Livramento was ruled to have handled.
PSG almost opened the scoring inside 10 minutes after a flowing counter-attack. Randal Kolo Muani and Achraf Hakimi linked up brilliantly down the right, but Nick Pope was on hand to deny Kylian Mbappe as the forward met Hakimi's cross with a deft flick.
The visitors found chances a little harder to come by, but a glorious one was spurned by Isak after Miguel Almiron created an opportunity out of nothing down the Newcastle left. The Swede didn't miss the next time, though Donnarumma won't be happy with how he dealt with Almiron's effort.
What did you make of Newcastle's performance? Have your say in the comments section
After the break, PSG attempted to step things up a notch. Bradley Barcola came into the fold, and the youngster was denied what looked like a certain goal thanks to the reflexes of Pope before Mbappe - moments after being denied by the keeper, flashed a shot narrowly wide.
Newcastle gave everything they had, and yet a VAR check brought their downfall as ref Szymon Marciniak pointed to the spot and Mbappe converted. Here are Mirror Football's talking points from a tense game in the French capital.
1. Miley coming of age
There was always a chance of Newcastle needing to put bodies on the line, especially after getting their noses in front, and Lewis Miley exemplified this around the half-hour mark. The 17-year-old put in a brave block to deny Lee Kang-in and preserve his team's early advantage.
The youngster's inexperience did tell at times, of course. Early in the second half, his failure to protect the ball from an ambitious Isak lay-off saw an attacking chance squandered with PSG going up the other end almost instantly to win a corner.
Miley's display wasn't quite on the level of iconic teenagers' performances like Jack Wilshere's for Arsenal against Barcelona all those years ago. And yet, in an environment where many could have been forgiven for hiding, he stood tall.
2. Livramento gives england a left-back option
The last international break provided concerns for England fans, not least when it came to the left-back position. Kieran Trippier has filled in there for his country, but those watching at the Parc des Princes will have seen another option.
Like Trippier, Tino Livramento is adept in both full-back positions. Any concerns about two-footedness were put to bed by his close control in the run which helped set up Newcastle's opener, while he showed smart game management to avoid a hairy situation after a foot race with Ousmane Dembele.
With Ben Chilwell still out and Luke Shaw only just back from injury, Gareth Southgate is hardly flush with options. Livramento has yet to make his senior England debut, but surely he's knocking on the door as things stand, and the late handball call was especially painful.
3. Magpies' injury crisis laid bare
Newcastle were only able to include seven players on thei bench due to injuries, and even that doesn't tell the whole story. Those seven were two goalkeepers, two left-backs and three youngsters with a combined 25 minutes of senior football.
Howe knew the addition of extra games during the autumn would present a challenge to his squad, but that challenge is multiplied when injuries mean resting senior stars isn't really an option. In contrast, when PSG turned to their bench they were able to turn to the likes of Marco Asensio and Goncalo Ramos.
Howe opted against turning to his subs, not that there were too many options. That meant tired legs for the 11 who started, making their efforts even more impressive even if they weren't able to hold on for all three points.
4. Marquinhos missed
While PSG were less depleted, Marquinhos was a big miss. The captain failed to finish Brazil's World Cup qualifier against Argentina, with a hamstring problem also ensuring he wasn't involved on Tuesday night.
Milan Skriniar and Danilo Pereira are no slouches, but any team would miss their skipper. After the let-off with Isak's first chance, Marquinhos might have been able to settle nerves and avoid the kind of situation which brought about the eventual opener.
Luis Enrique has done well to build an exciting young squad which moves away from PSG's recent reliance on older and sometimes fading stars. However, that does mean the lack of experience cal tell at times, especially when key men miss out.
5. All to play for in gameweek 6
This wasn't the only game in the group on Tuesday night, of course. A topsy-turvy encounter was being played out at the San Siro, with Borussia Dortmund going 1-0 and later 2-1 in front after an early penalty miss from AC Milan's Olivier Giroud.
When Dortmund added a third through Karim Adeyemi, it ensured they are the only team assured of a knockout spot from the group of death. Below them, though, it's all to play for.
Before Mbappe's equaliser, Newcastle provisionally had their fate in their own hands. Now, though, they need to beat Milan and hope Dortmund can do them a favour against PSG.
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