A late spot-kick saved the Parisians, after errors at both ends nearly saw them lose a European home game for the first time in three years
A late, and immensely controversial Kylian Mbappe penalty saved Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, as they otherwise did little to deserve a 1-1 draw against Newcastle that keeps their Champions League destiny in their own hands.
Mbappe came close early on, forcing Nick Pope into a tidy save after guiding a backheel on goal. Newcastle responded with a chance of their own, with Alexander Isak firing narrowly over after ghosting into space inside the six-yard box. He didn't miss at the second time of asking, turning the ball home from inches out after a Gianluigi Donnarumma blunder.
The Parisians offered more attacking thrust after the break, applying pressure against a tired Newcastle outfit. Substitute winger Bradley Barcola missed a quartet of opportunities. Mbappe, too, had his chances, bashing one shot at the goalkeeper before blasting another wide, while Ousmane Dembele also missed a couple of good opportunities.
The equaliser eventually came, as Mbappe buried a spot-kick after a puzzling handball decision was given against Tino Livramento, meaning a win over Borussia Dortmund in their final match will seal qualification for the knockout stages.
Unsteady with the ball at his feet. Spilled Almiron's shot to gift Newcastle the opener in his one real action of the contest.
Achraf Hakimi (5/10):
Devastating going forward in the early goings. Was bailed out by an Isak miss after a silly giveaway. Didn't do enough to stop the lively Gordon, either.
Milan Skriniar (7/10):
Really solid at the back throughout. Made one crucial intervention to prevent Isak from running through on goal on the stroke of half-time.
Danilo Pereira (4/10):
Brought in to play centre-back in the absence of Marquinhos. Didn't exactly turn in an inspiring performance, and looked unsteady for long stretches.
Lucas Hernandez (5/10):
Not able to get forward much, and was mostly conservative in his passing.
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Midfield
Manuel Ugarte (4/10):
Seemed to enjoy the physicality of things. Flew into tackles, but wasn't always the most composed. Passed sideways a lot. Seemed to be a bad tackle away from a red card when he was subbed on the hour.
Fabian Ruiz (4/10):
On the ball a lot, but not necessarily decisive when he had it. Paper-thin defensively, though, and pushed around by Newcastle's bulkier midfield.
Lee Kang-In (5/10):
Bright in the first half, and looked to create when he got on the ball. Less involved in the second.
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Attack
Ousmane Dembele (3/10):
Scampered down the wing with regularity, but was frustratingly lacking in direction once he got into key areas. Put a few shots wide, and made the wrong decision too often. Got booked for a silly foul, and will miss the next game. Livramento looked after him well, too.
Randal Kolo Muani (5/10):
Offered a solid central presence when the Parisians attacked, but his quality on the ball was lacking. Subbed after an hour, and is yet to hit a groove in the capital.
Kylian Mbappe (5/10):
Forced Pope into a tidy save early on. Went for a bicycle kick when things weren't going his way. Some nice flicks and tricks got the Parisians going as the second half wore on. Scored from the spot in second-half stoppage-time — he was never going to miss.
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Subs & Manager
Bradley Barcola (5/10):
Missed a lot of chances after coming on. Part wasteful, part unlucky.
Vitinha (5/10):
Tidy in central areas, and happy to link the midfield to the forward line.
Goncalo Ramos (5/10):
Scarcely involved.
Marco Asensio (3/10):
Tried too hard to make things happen, and bashed the ball over the bar a lot.
Luis Enrique (4/10):
Avoided the 4-2-4 setup that proved costly in the reverse fixture, but his side was still outdone by Newcastle's raw physicality and energy. The Parisians made a mistake to go 1-0 down, and were forced to push for an equaliser. An absolute robbery to get a point, in the end.