- Mbappe rescues point for PSG
- Controversial penalty denies Magpies
- Last 16 place still up for grabs
In a dramatic night at Parc des Princes, Kylian Mbappe secured a last-minute draw for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) with a controversial penalty, denying Newcastle United a remarkable victory.
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Late drama denies brave Newcastle
The penalty decision came after a VAR review, where referee Szymon Marciniak consulted the pitchside monitor and determined that Tino Livramento had handled the ball inside the box while blocking a cross.
Newcastle had taken the lead in the first half when Alexander Isak capitalised on a rebound from Miguel Almiron’s shot. The visitors displayed resilience in defence, fending off PSG’s attacks, with goalkeeper Nick Pope making crucial saves from close range to deny Bradley Barcola and Kylian Mbappe.
Despite their commendable efforts, Newcastle’s hopes were shattered in stoppage time when PSG were awarded a highly contentious penalty. Mbappe confidently converted the spot-kick, leaving Eddie Howe’s side with a bitter pill to swallow. The draw places Newcastle in third position in Group F, trailing PSG by two points.
Looking ahead, Newcastle’s final group game against AC Milan is crucial. To advance to the Champions League knockout stages, they must secure a victory and rely on already qualified Borussia Dortmund to deliver a favourable result against PSG.
Betting Implications
With Dortmund already through the early odds from the bookies make PSG favourites to grab the second qualifying spot. Newcastle are second favourites ahead of Milan, who visit St James’ Park in the final group match. A win for United would secure a Europa League place regardless of events in Dortmund. At the time of writing, bet365 are offering 9/4 for the Magpies to make the last 16 with PSG favourites to join Dortmund at 4/9 with Milan 14/1.
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