Kylian Mbappe snatched a famous Champions League victory from Newcastle’s grasp with a controversial penalty in the eighth minute of stoppage-time to earn Paris St Germain a 1-1 draw at the Parc des Princes.
Defender Tino Livramento was harshly adjudged to have handled Ousmane Dembele’s cross to allow the France superstar to finally beat goalkeeper Nick Pope from the spot on a night when Eddie Howe’s men came within seconds of a win which would have set them up perfectly for their final Group F fixture against AC Milan at St James’ Park.
They led through Alexander Isak’s 24th-minute strike and looked to have survived a second-half onslaught with Pope saving from Mbappe, Dembele and substitute Bradley Barcola, but they headed back to Tyneside wondering what might have been after the draw kept their hopes of a place in the last 16 alive, but only just.
Victory over the Italians combined with defeat for PSG at Borussia Dortmund, who have already qualified, would see the dream realised, but their fate is now out of their own hands.
That is harsh on Howe’s injury-ravaged squad, who turned in a performance of real character in Paris with Bruno Guimaraes Livramento, Pope, Miguel Almiron and – as the game became increasingly stretched – Anthony Gordon shining in particular.
Mbappe started in ominous mood as he and Lee Kang-in combined repeatedly down the left and Pope had to save the PSG skipper’s audacious flick with his feet after Randal Kolo Muani had played full-back Achraf Hakimi into space with an equally deft touch.
However, the visitors should have taken a 12th-minute lead when Almiron dispossessed Hakimi and crossed low to Isak at the near post only to see the striker lift his first-time shot agonisingly over.
They did with 24 minutes gone when full-back Livramento embarked on a scything run which took him past Dembele, Hakimi, Fabian Ruiz, Milan Skriniar, Manuel Ugarte and Lee before he fed Almiron on the right.
The Paraguay international curled a shot towards the far post, where goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma could only push the ball out to Isak, who gleefully slammed it into the net.
Pope had to come to Isak’s rescue after he lost possession and Dembele raced away and tried to steer the ball inside the far post as PSG responded, but for all their attacking flair, the French side were struggling to break down their English opponents.
Skriniar was perhaps fortunate not to be penalised for handball as he made a last-ditch attempt to deny Isak a clear run on goal in stoppage-time, but Pope was grateful for the sizeable presence of Fabian Schar in front of him to keep out Dembele’s well-struck attempt from Mbappe’s cross.
Isak was almost through on goal again within seconds of the restart after running on to Joelinton’s defence-splitting pass before eventually being snuffed out by the recovering blue shirts and, with Anthony Gordon keeping the PSG defence occupied, frustration was mounting among the home ranks.
They might have been back in it, however, had Pope not raced from his line to block Dembele’s 56th-minute toe-poke and the keeper was rewarded when Mbappe completely missed his as he attempted to acrobatically volley home the rebound.
The Magpies edged ever deeper as Luis Enrique’s men fought desperately for a way back into the game and they almost got it with 66 minutes gone when Mbappe tricked his way past Schar and crossed for Barcola, whose point-blank effort was brilliantly saved by Pope.
Barcola fired wastefully into the side-netting after getting in behind the visitors’ defence and Gordon survived a VAR review for a penalty after Hakimi had gone down under his challenge with Newcastle visibly tiring.
Pope blocked Mbappe’s 87th-minute strike at his near post and saw the France international thump the rebound inches wide, but he was finally beaten at the death after Polish referee Szymon Marciniak had reviewed the incident in which Dembele’s cross appeared to hit Livramento’s side and loop up on to the underside of his arm and belatedly awarded a spot-kick.
Luis Enrique: PSG 'far from the level' to turn Champions League fortunes around
Luis Enrique believes that despite Paris Saint-Germain's unbeaten start to the Ligue 1 season, it is not enough to turn their fortunes around in the Champions League.
PSG cruised to a 3-0 win over Toulouse on Friday, maintaining their six point advantage over Monaco at the top of the standings.
The Parisiens have 32 points from their 12 league matches. Over the last 70 years, only under Thomas Tuchel have they had more at this stage (36 in 2018-19).
PSG have also scored a division-high 36 goals, netting three or more times in nine of their 12 matches this season, as many as in their last 24 last term.
However, that form has failed to transpire in the Champions League. Luis Enrique's side sit 25th in the new 36-team league after taking four points from their four games.
And with a daunting trip to the Allianz Arena to face Bayern Munich up next, the PSG boss said his side's good run in the league will not be enough to win the competition.
"I think that we have numbers in Ligue 1 that are in line with our quality and in the Champions League we are far from our level. It's not logical," Luis Enrique said.
"It is clear that we have to improve our effectiveness, there is no doubt about it.
"A competition like the Champions League is different, is short, fewer games, it does not reward regularity, it rewards being good at the right moments.
"However, I think it's important to go into a Champions League match having won. It's not that it's decisive, but it's more positive," the coach added.
Friday's victory was sealed with goals from Joao Neves, Beraldo and Vitinha, sealing a sixth consecutive Ligue 1 triumph at the Parc des Princes.
Neves has now been involved in eight league goals this season (two goals, six assists), having only recorded five goal contributions in 50 appearances for Benfica.
The Portugal international also won more duels (nine) than any other PSG player against Toulouse, with Luis Enrique showering praise on the 20-year-old.
"Joao played the first half as a pivot, which is his usual position. In the second half we made more use of his ability to bring the ball out from the back in a more delayed position. I think he was very good," Luis Enrique said.
"Clearly when a midfielder scores the goal and it's something we insist on, well it seems to bring out his game more. I'm more satisfied. In the second half I liked him."
Man United could be without Toone until new year, says Skinner
Marc Skinner revealed that Manchester United could be without midfielder Ella Toone until the new year after she picked up a calf injury in training.
Toone has featured in five games in the Women's Super League this season, but is yet to register a goal or an assist so far this term.
The 25-year-old has missed United's last two games and was not selected in Sarina Wiegman's England squad for their upcoming friendlies against the United States and Switzerland.
She had previously appeared in a staggering 96 straight matches before missing United's WSL showdown with Leicester City last weekend.
But ahead of the Red Devils' meeting with league leaders Chelsea on Sunday, Skinner confirmed they would be without Toone for not only that game, but for the foreseeable future.
"We have three games [after the international break and before Christmas]. There's always the hope, but I think you balance and you go, 'right, if we can get her back, we get her back'," Skinner said.
"But we're just not going to rush her in this moment because it's a calf injury, it's your running mechanism. If we injure the running mechanism, it takes longer.
"So ideally we'd like her back for those games afterwards.
"The projection is she misses this game [Chelsea], she misses the international window, probably misses the first game after that, and then we'll see from there.
"But because it is such a short block of only three games, we'll assess whether it's worth that or actually resetting to come back after Christmas."
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