Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain finished all square in Paris, both sides ultimately missing out on the Champions League’s automatic last-16 berths after a tense, high-stakes draw at Parc des Princes.
Newcastle showed character in hostile conditions, but results elsewhere left them facing a two-legged playoff in February. Both teams had spells in the top eight during a dramatic night, only for the picture to change with each goal around Europe.
Vitinha put PSG ahead early after Nick Pope had kept out Ousmane Dembele’s penalty, given for a controversial handball against Lewis Miley.
Newcastle were up against it for much of the first half, with PSG dominating possession and territory. Eddie Howe, missing key starters and reverting to a back five for just the fourth time this season, saw his side struggle to keep pace with PSG’s tempo and physicality in the opening stages. Changes to the lineup included Anthony Elanga, Willock, Jacob Ramsey, and Nick Woltemade, with both Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes on the bench.
The controversial penalty saw Miley penalized after the ball ricocheted off multiple players and hit his outstretched arm, but Pope’s save from Dembele kept Newcastle alive. VAR adjudged Miley’s hand position as unnatural, even though there was little intent.
That decision would set the tone for a night of frustration for Newcastle, who had reason to feel hard done by, especially after a similar incident in Premier League action went unpunished just days earlier.
After Vitinha’s opener, PSG remained on top but Newcastle fought their way back into the contest. Their resilience paid off when Joe Willock, on his first Champions League start, headed home Newcastle’s first shot on target just before the break.
The equaliser lifted the visitors, and Howe’s tactical adjustments gradually blunted PSG’s attacking threat as the match wore on. Newcastle looked increasingly dangerous in transition and on set pieces, while PSG’s energy noticeably faded in the second half.
As news of goals from elsewhere filtered through, both sides pressed for a winner to avoid dropping into the playoff zone. Newcastle’s best chance came late on, with substitute Harvey Barnes missing the target from close range in stoppage time.
Neither side could find a breakthrough, meaning both PSG and Newcastle slipped into the two-legged playoff round.
Howe called the draw “a body blow, but not fatal,” while Nick Pope’s penalty save stood out as a major positive on a night when Newcastle had to grind through adversity.
The fixture congestion now becomes acute: Newcastle are guaranteed at least 55 matches this season, with six of their next seven away from home, including Liverpool at Anfield and Manchester City at the Etihad in the League Cup.
The Champions League playoff draw is Friday, with Qarabag or Monaco as potential opponents.
