Both Newcastle United and AC Milan faced an early exit from the UEFA Champions League (UCL) at the group stage, despite AC Milan’s triumphant 2-1 victory at St James’ Park.
St James’ Park buzzed with anticipation as the Geordie faithful played their part on a pivotal night in Newcastle’s season.
The Magpies, eyeing a favorable outcome in Dortmund, pressed for an early breakthrough. Kieran Trippier’s free-kick sailed over the bar, and Fikayo Tomori’s stellar tackle denied Miguel Almirón a tap-in from Joelinton’s cut-back.
With 33 minutes on the clock, Joelinton, the Brazilian maestro, showcased his skill, taking a touch and firing a ferocious finish past Mike Maignan. This propelled the Magpies into second place over Paris Saint-Germain, who were locked in a goalless stalemate in Germany at halftime.
The mood in Tyneside soared further after the break with news of Karim Adeyemi’s opener against PSG, giving Newcastle a crucial point lead.
However, Warren Zaïre-Emery’s equalizer narrowed the gap back to the head-to-head rule, setting the stage for a double blow.
Christian Pulisic then leveled the scores just shy of the hour mark after an expert setup by Olivier Giroud, dampening the atmosphere as Newcastle slipped back to their pre-kickoff third spot.
Bruno Guimarães thought he had restored the hosts’ advantage from distance, only to be denied by Maignan’s superb save, tipping the long-range strike onto the bar.
The anguish on Eddie Howe’s face was evident when Callum Wilson miscued his attempt from Tino Livramento’s cross.
The potential turning point came when Rafael Leão hit the post in a one-on-one with Martin Dúbravka.
Despite the relentless efforts, Milan turned the match on its head through Samuel Chukwueze’s excellent finish at the end of a blistering counter-attack.
Stefano Pioli’s side moved into third but sat behind PSG on the head-to-head rule.
The night packed with drama on Tyneside ended without further twists as the Magpies succumbed to a third consecutive defeat across all competitions. The sting is sharper as their European adventure concludes before Christmas.
Meanwhile, Milan, displaying impressive resilience, now has UEFA Europa League football as a consolation prize heading into the New Year.
