Newcastle v AC Milan LIVE: Champions League result and reaction as Magpies crash out of Europe
Newcastle 1-2 AC Milan: The Magpies lose from a goal ahead to not only fail to reach the Champions League knockouts but miss out on Europa League football
Samuel Chukwueze came off the bench to end Newcastle’s Champions League adventure as AC Milan fought back from a goal down to win 2-1 at St James’ Park.
On a night when both sides needed to win to stand any chance of progressing, goals from Christian Pulisic and Chukwueze handed the Serie A side a 2-1 victory which was not enough to prolong their involvement in the competition following a 1-1 draw between Borussia Dortmund and Paris St Germain in Germany.
Seven-time winners Milan at least have the consolation of a Europa League berth while Eddie Howe’s men, who took a 33rd-minute lead through Joelinton’s piledriver in front of a crowd of 52,037, slipped out of Europe altogether after finishing bottom of Group F in their first campaign since 2002-03.
Relive all the action below:
Another cruel comeback sees Newcastle perish in group of death
It was the sequel Newcastle United did not want, the second cruel comeback in as many Champions League games. For some 45 minutes, including half-time, they could savour the sight of a table that showed them in second, permitting them to imagine a date with Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the knockout stages. And then, little more than half an hour, they were ejected from Europe altogether.
Christian Pulisic’s equaliser threatened to condemn them to the Europa League. Samuel Chukwueze’s winner instead meant that spot goes to AC Milan. The group of death went down to the dying minutes, but Newcastle have perished. They had savoured a return to Europe but there will be no continental trips for them in the spring of 2024.
Read Richard Jolly’s full report from St James’ Park:
Another cruel comeback sees Newcastle perish in group of death
Newcastle 1-2 AC Milan: The Magpies were left to wonder what might have been as a harsh defeat knocked them out of Europe entirely
Newcastle 1-2 AC Milan
Here were the goals from tonight’s match at St James’ Park. Joelinton’s strike was a thunderbolt but ultimately for nought.
FULL-TIME! Newcastle 1-2 AC Milan
And that’s it! Heartbreak for Newcastle. The game ends 2-1 to AC Milan. It means that PSG go through in second place in the gorup and Milan take third to drop into the Europa League.
Newcastle are out of Europe completely.
POST! Newcastle 1-2 AC Milan
90+4 mins: A three on two for Milan on the counter! Worked to the man on the overlap, Fikayo Tomori of all players, and he smashes the ball past Dubravka but it hits the post and bounces clear!
It won’t matter though - we’re just about finished here.
Newcastle 1-2 AC Milan
90+3 mins: The corner is to the back post, over Dubravka and the other big-hitters’ heads. Milan can clear and in fact can break!
Dubravka sprinting back but the goal is gaping. Theo Hernandez goes for it from just inside the Newcastle half but gets it all wrong and the ball trickles wide.
Newcastle 1-2 AC Milan
90+3 mins: Newcastle win a corner. And up comes Dubravka!
Newcastle 1-2 AC Milan
90+2 mins: A ball over the top runs through to Maignan and he can waste some time bouncing the ball before clearing.
It’s worth saying that if Dortmund got a late winner, Milan would actually go through to the Champions League last 16 but they’re in the Europa League as it stands.
Newcastle 1-2 AC Milan
90 mins: Four minutes of added time. Newcastle need to score to secure Europa League football after Christmas
Newcastle 1-2 AC Milan
88 mins: So Newcastle now need to score just to avoid crashing out of Europe completely. They will finish bottom of the group and not even drop into the Europa League if things stay as they are.
A great block by Dan Burn keeps the score at just 2-1 but the Magpies need to be down the other end of the pitch. 17-year-old Davide Bartesaghi comes on for his AC Milan debut in place of Rafael Leao. A big time to make that call from Milan boss Stefano Pioli!
GOAL! Newcastle 1-2 AC Milan (Samuel Chukwueze 84’ ⚽)
Oh no. That could be that for Newcastle. Samuel Chukwueze just a minute after coming on.
It’s been all Newcastle and they pour men forward. Schar charges into the box but the pass intended for him is intercepted. It means the centre-back is out of position as Milan counter-attack, the ball is worked right to sub Chukwueze who opens his body and curls the ball into the far corner beyond Dubravka.
Lovely finish and Newcastle are now crashing out of Europe completely as it stands
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments