PSG 1-1 Newcastle: Champions League Player Ratings

PSG escaped the home defeat with a late penalty to keep their qualification hopes alive in the UCL group stage.

Paris Saint-Germain drew 1-1 with Newcastle in their Champions League game on Tuesday. Kylian Mbappe’s last-minute equalizer keeps the Parisians in the tournament ahead of the final matchday.

“Group of Death” Madness

PSG started the game on the front foot as they put pressure on Newcastle’s backline with a number of early attacks. Nick Pope made a stunning save to prevent Mbappe from scoring the opener with a precise low shot.

Newcastle then shocked their opponents by breaking the deadlock in the 24th minute. Gianluigi Donnarumma saved Miguel Almiron’s curler, only for the ball to find Alexander Isak in front of the goal. The Magpies forward then made it 1-0 with an easy finish.

The visitors kept PSG at bay at the beginning of the second period. However, the Ligue 1 giants gradually took full control of the game as their opponents became exhausted.

Pope made two more fantastic saves as Newcastle defended their lead in the final ten minutes. However, an unlucky handball from Tino Livramento was enough to convince the referee to award PSG a last-minute penalty. Kylian Mbappe converted the spot-kick with a powerful shot as PSG escaped the home defeat.

Elsewhere in Group F, Borussia Dortmund defeated AC Milan 3-1 at San Siro. The German giants are leading the group with ten points ahead of PSG and Newcastle, who have seven and five points, respectively. Milan sit at the bottom of the table with five points, but they still have a chance to qualify for the knockout stage on the final matchday.

From heroics to heartbreak 💔

Newcastle were so close to beating PSG home and away.#UCL pic.twitter.com/U4udKdEXZB
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) November 28, 2023

Player Ratings

PSG: Donnarumma (6); Hakimi (7), Škriniar (7), Danilo (7), Hernández (7); Ugarte (5), Fabián (8), Lee (7); Dembélé (6), Mbappé (8), Kolo Muani (7).

Bench: Vitinha (7), Barcola (4), Asensio (7), Ramos (6).

Newcastle: Pope (8); Trippier (6), Lascelles (7), Schär (6), Livramento (6); Bruno G. (7), Miley (6), Joelinton (6); Almirón (7), Gordon (6), Isak (6).

Bench: –