Magpies crash out of Europe as Milan conjure late winner
Samuel Chukwueze came off the bench to end Newcastle’s Champions League adventure as AC Milan fought back from a goal down to win at St James’ Park.
On a night when both sides needed to win to stand any chance of progressing, goals from Christian Pulisic, right, 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 all together after finishing bottom of Group F in their first campaign since 2002-03.
Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka shook off a bout of illness which had threatened his participation to retain his place in the team with striker Callum Wilson making his first start since damaging a hamstring during the 2-0 defeat at Dortmund on November 7.
Such have been head coach
Howe’s selection problems that only four of the men who started the reverse fixture in September – Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon – did so on Tyneside.
Trippier curled a sixthminute free-kick over Mike Maignan’s crossbar after Pulisic had bundled Gordon to the ground as the Magpies maintained their early intensity. The visitors with experienced striker Olivier Giroud providing a focal point, gradually eased their way into the game but Fikayo Tomori had to make a superbly-timed intervention on his own line to prevent Miguel Almiron from converting Joelinton’s cross in the 20th minute.
But it was the Brazilian who broke the deadlock when he ran on to Lewis Miley’s lay-off and smashed a right-footed shot past the helpless Maignan and into the top corner before sprinting to the sideline to celebrate with Howe and assistant Jason Tindall as the stadium erupted.
The game descended into a scrappy affair with both sides struggling to retain possession as the half-time whistle approached, and it was the Magpies who ultimately headed for the dressing rooms much the happier.
Wilson picked out the keeperwithtwoattemptsandgordon fired over from another with Newcastle looking to kill the game off as news that Dortmund had scored rippled around the stadium.
PSG’S equaliser minutes later did little to quell the atmosphere, but spirits dropped with 59 minutes gone when the home defence failed to deal with Leao’s left-wing cross and Giroud teed up former Chelsea midfielder Pulisic to level from close range.
The woodwork came to Newcastle’s rescue 11 minutes from time when Leao’s shot came back off the post after Tino Livramento’s error had sparked a pacy counter-attack, but there was no escape five minutes later when Noah Okafor and Luka Jovic combined to set up fellow substitute Chukwueze to win it.
Giroud teed up former Chelsea midfielder Pulisic to level from close range