Mbappé penalty rescues draw for PSG against Newcastle in Champions League
PARIS (AP) — Kylian Mbappé's penalty in the eighth minute of stoppage time salvaged a point for Paris Saint-Germain in a 1-1 draw with an injury-depleted but tenacious Newcastle team on Tuesday.
Alexander Isak scored on a rebound in the 24th minute, making up for his earlier miss when he shot over the bar from close range.
Miguel Almirón sent in a speculative shot from the edge of the box and PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma could only push it away to Isak's feet for an easy finish.
PSG wasted chance after chance and Newcastle seemed on course to pull off another unlikely win to follow the 4-1 victory over the same opposition last month.
That was until Ousmane Dembélé flicked the ball up in the fifth minute of stoppage time and it bounced off Tino Livramento's chest and onto his arm. Referee Szymon Marciniak gave a penalty after watching the incident on video review and Mbappé blasted the spot-kick past goalkeeper Nick Pope.
PSG can advance if it beats group leader Borussia Dortmund in Germany on Dec. 13 in their last group game. Dortmund beat Milan 3-1 on Tuesday as the German team secured its place in the round of 16.
“Very proud. I think we deserved to win, we created a lot of clear chances and, at times, it was difficult to get the ball in,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said.
To keep its Champions League campaign going, Newcastle must now beat AC Milan at home next month and hope PSG doesn't win at Dortmund.
“Under the circumstances with injuries, to come to a place like this and get a point is positive. Disappointing, but positive," Newcastle right back Kieran Trippier said.
Mbappé finally scored after having missed an early chance when Pope saved his backheel-flick finish, and later miscuing an attempt at an overhead kick. Those were just two of the many missed chances for PSG against a Newcastle team which seemed exhausted for much of the second half.
Luis Enrique responded by bringing on more attacking players. Substitute Bradley Barcola in particular got into good scoring positions only to see his efforts either saved by Pope or in one case volleyed over the bar when unmarked at the far post.
For Donnarumma, the error on Isak's goal marked the second time in four days that the Italian goalkeeper was under scrutiny for a mistake after conceding a goal against Monaco on Friday.
Newcastle was missing 11 players to various injuries and Sandro Tonali's gambling ban. Manager Eddie Howe picked an unchanged team from the lineup that beat Chelsea 4-1 on Saturday, 17-year-old midfielder Lewis Miley included.
Howe did not use any of his seven bench players, who included two goalkeepers and four teenagers. The other two bench spots were left empty in an illustration of just how thin Newcastle's squad had become.
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