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.
GOAL rates PSG's players from Parc des Princes…
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Gianluigi Donnarumma (4/10):
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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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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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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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.