AC Milan vs Newcastle LIVE: Champions League result and final score as Nick Pope saves deny hosts
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle: Eddie Howe’s side held the hosts to a goalless draw on their Champions League return
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Newcastle marked their return to the Champions League after a two-decade absence with a hard-fought 0-0 draw with AC Milan at San Siro on Tuesday, as the Serie A club spurned numerous opportunities in the Group F opener.
Milan winger Rafael Leao kept the Newcastle defence busy throughout the contest and had his best opportunity in the 34th minute, but he miscued an elaborate backheel after skipping past two defenders.
He was also wasteful in the second half, firing a header over the bar after Alessandro Florenzi found him with an inch-perfect cross. The visitors’ attacking efforts were limited to counter-attacks and the English side recorded just one shot on target.
The draw could hurt both teams’ prospects in a challenging group, which features Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain and 1997 winners Borussia Dortmund.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
34 mins: Off the line! Newcastle are living on the edge here. A chipped pass comes to Rafael Leao who flicks it on before getting fed in behind the Newcastle defence by Theo Hernandez.
Leao weaves into the box, cuts past two defenders but messes up what should have been a simple shot. Newcastle can’t clear the danger though and shots from first Tommaso Pobega and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are blocked with one even cleared away from the goal line.
Somehow Newcastle survive.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
31 mins: Shot! Milan burst up the pitch on the counter-attack with Theo Hernandez flying down the left wing. He keeps the ball in play and pings a low cross into the box.
Olivier Giroud arrives close to the near post but turns his effort wide of the target! That was a close one.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
28 mins: Newcastle win a free kick in the middle of the pitch and knock the ball back to their defence. A cross field pass is won in the air by Anthony Gordon who also earns another free kick after being brough down by Milan captain Davide Calabria.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
25 mins: AC Milan have had eight attempts at goal already with six of those on target. Nick Pope is earning his paycheck so far tonight.
The longer Newcastle can keep them quiet the more likely it’ll be that Eddie Howe’s men can get a goal of their own.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
22 mins: Ruben Loftus-Cheek finds himself with the ball on the inside right channel and he brings it up into the final third before letting fly with a relatively powerful strike.
The shot is decent enough but continues to rise and Nick Pope calmly watches it sail over the top of his goal.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
19 mins: Chance! Milan continue to create the best chances in this game and Nick Pope continues to deny them. A corner ball is swung into the middle of the box by Rade Krunic who expertly picks out the arriving Theo Hernandez.
His header is knocked into the deck but bounces up to the nice height for Pope who tips it over the crossbar. Newcastle then defend the next set piece well and earn themselves a goal kick.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
16 mins: Newcastle were under pressure as Milan looked to press their possession into an opening goal.
Nick Pope makes another couple of decent interventions to keep the ball away from his goal before the Magpies manage to work it to the opposite side of the pitch.
They’ll be relishing a bit of respite now.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
13 mins: Save! Nick Pope comes to Newcastle’s rescue after they give the ball away inside their own half. The defenders are scrambling to retreat as the ball is sent across to Tommaso Pobega.
Pobega takes a touch and blitzes a fine shot at goal but Pope leaps to his right and palms the ball away.
Milan aren’t done though and recycle the ball with a cross to the back post. Samuel Chukwueze is on hand to turn the ball towards goal but Pope has the nearest post covered and makes another great stop.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
11 mins: A lovely switch of play from Newcastle sends the ball across the pitch to Anthony Gordon. He brings it down and taps a short pass past Davide Calabria before sprinting in behind the defender and collecting the loose ball.
Gordon dribbles into the box but his final touch is poor and he can’t pick out a teammate in the area. Milan work the ball away.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
8 mins: This has been a decent start from Newcastle. Sandro Tonali goes on a fine run down the left channel and carries the ball to the byline. He comes into the box and holds off Davide Calabria before pulling a pass back to the middle.
Milan’s players all go up saying Tonali ran the ball out of play before he passed and the referee agrees. He awards the hosts a goal kick.
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