NEWCASTLE OUT OF EUROPE AFTER LOSS TO AC MILAN

Friday 15 December 2023

UEFA Champions League 2023/24

St James’s Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Matchday 6, Group F game 2.

NEWCASTLE OUT OF EUROPE AFTER AC MILAN DEFEAT

A disappointed Eddie Howe and his team receive a massive applause from their home support after their loss against AC Milan in Group F.

PREVIEW:

A massive game on the cards here in Newcastle. The hosts were very unlucky not to have done a historic UCL group stage double over PSG, but thanks to an Mbappé penalty, PSG secured a home draw after 90+8’ minutes at the Parc des Princes in the French capital. But the Magpies are not on a good run in all competitions. After back-to-back defeats, both away from home, Newcastle need to win this game and hope PSG do not beat Group F leaders Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund. Whereas for AC Milan, they are bottom of the table after their home loss to Borussia Dortmund thanks to goals from Marco Reus, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Karim Adeyemi even though Samuel Chukwueze scored the equaliser. Now, they also need to win this game and hope that the other game in Germany remains level. The visitors are searching for a win after losing in the Serie A away to Atalanta (Bergamo Calcio) in Bergamo. Who will seal that Europa League preliminary round spot and who will face direct elimination from both competitions?

TEAM NEWS:

Eddie Howe makes 1 change from the loss at Tottenham, with the return of Callum Wilson to the XI as the former Bournemouth head coach has only 7 substitutes today with the others injured, this sees Alexander Isak make way and Dan Burn returns to the team after injury but can only be a substitute with Paul Dummett, Lewis Hall, and Sean Longstaff are amongst the known outfield players in a 4-3-3 holding formation with Bruno Guimarãxes the CDM for the team.

Under-pressure Stefano Pioli makes 1 change from the loss at Atalanta with Rafael Leão back into the starting XI after a thigh injury in place of Samuel Chukwueze in a 4-2-3-1 with sees Olivier Giroud starting at striker with Ruben Loftus-Cheek playing as a CAM with Leão and Christian Pulisic on the wings, with Luka Jovic, Noah Okafor, and Tommaso Pobega amongst the substitutes.

KICK-OFF: FIRST HALF

Here we go at St James’ Park, as the two sides kick-off in what is a must-win game for both teams. Both teams trading blows in the opening minutes, with the ball going here and there as the Magpies and the Rossoneri battle out for possession. On 20 minutes, the first big chance of the game and it goes to the hosts. Bruno Guimarães finds Kieran Trippier, and he tries to cross for Miguel Almiron, but former Chelsea CB, Fikayo Tomori makes a crucial interception to get the ball away from the Paraguayan winger. Terrific defending from AC Milan! And at the other end, Rafael Leão strikes his first-time shot wide of the Newcastle goal, A good chance that for the visitors on 24 minutes. And the first goal finally arrived on 33 minutes. The home crowd absolutely erupted and went mad after Joelinton scored a wonderful goal for the hosts. None of the AC Milan players went after Anthony Gordon and he linked up with Lewis Miley and then teenager Miley found Joelinton, only for the Brazilian to strike a beautiful first goal in a crucial game for the hosts. 1-0 after 33 minutes. 

Joelinton scored the game’s first goal on 33 minutes. NEW 1 – ACM 0.

Do AC Milan have what it takes to draw the game level and then win it? We’re about to find out as Milan kick-off again. Chances came at both ends of the pitch again, but there weren’t much from them. This resulted in 2 AC Milan players getting booked due to fouls conceded and dissent. Rafael Leão was booked for his nudge on Almiron whilst trying to protect the ball and Mike Maignan was booked for his reaction to the referee after he protested that Joelinton should’ve been booked for fouling him. HT in Newcastle with the hosts in 2^nd due to H2H against PSG with the 1-goal advantage. Milan are bottom now on the verge of elimination from Europe. The game in Dortmund is at HT with both sides goalless.

KICK-OFF: SECOND HALF

The second half beings and once again Milan are under pressure and needed Maignan to save Joelinton’s shot outside the box. And huge cheers around St James’ Park because Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi has put the hosts ahead on 51 minutes at Dortmund. It was good news for both Milan and Newcastle as they saw this chance to score more whilst PSG were behind. And the noise quickly faded away as PSG levelled at Signal Iduna Park thanks to their 17-year-old teenage wonderkid, Warren Zaïre-Emery with the goal that puts PSG level on 56 minutes. And 3 minutes later, Milan levelled the scores. After Newcastle failed to deal with the corner worked between Yunus Musah and Rafael Leão was whipped in by the Portuguese, it found Loftus-Cheek and Giroud, and then the Frenchman found Pulisic at the near post. A simple tap-in for the American winger, who was enjoying life at Milan following his move from Chelsea in the summer and drags the visitors level. 

Pulisic grabbed Milan’s equaliser to level the game on the hour. NEW 1- ACM 1.

With that equaliser from Pulisic, Newcastle drop to third in the table into the Europa League prelim knockout spot, following that goal. Before they restarted again, Eddie Howe turns to his bench and sends on Alexander Isak and Dan Burn in place of Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier to try and get the goal to regain the lead. This saw Tino Livramento shift to RB and Burn at LB with Wilson and Isak partnering in a 4-1-2-1-2 formation with Guimarães playing the CDM, with Joelinton and substitute Sean Longstaff playing the CMs and Almiron plays the CAM in this new formation.

And a big moment on 69 minutes, a Newcastle chance. Bruno Guimarães striking a powerful shot which was parried onto the crossbar by Mike Maignan, which kept the game level. And now come the Milan substitutions. Stefano Pioli makes a double substitution which sees Luka Jovic and Tommaso Pobega onto the pitch, with Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek off for the visitors on 73 minutes to try and spark a comeback into the contest. Another double change this time 10 minutes later, with Samuel Chukwueze and Noah Okafor on for Giroud and Musah, who have contributed massively for the equaliser. And Milan finally completed the turnaround on 84 minutes. The visitors unleashed a deadly counterattack to catch the Magpies and it resulted in substitute Samuel Chukwueze curling in a beautiful effort past Martin Dubravka to put Milan in 3^rd place which is the Europa League prelim knockout stage sending the hosts to bottom of the table.

Chukwueze scored the decisive goal to send Milan to the UEL.

There’s 6 minutes and stoppage time remaining for the hosts to try and save the game. Luckily, it’s still 1-1 in Dortmund, after Mbappé’s goal was ruled out due to offside when he latched onto the pass and the goal was chalked off due to VAR check. With 5 minutes of stoppage time to play, it just wasn’t enough for Newcastle United to find 2 goals to peg back into the game, and ultimately, the game was done and St James’ Park was silenced and AC Milan have survived the exit. FT in Newcastle with the game in Germany ending all square, this means that Newcastle are the second English team to be knocked out of this year’s UCL group stage, with Manchester United also eliminated after they finished bottom of Group A with Bayern Munich and FC Københaven qualifying for the last 16, whereas Manchester City and Arsenal both sealed their places in the UCL knockouts after both teams won their groups. Arsenal winning Group B and defending champions Manchester City ending their group stage with a perfect record of 6/6 in Group G.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Newcastle United will look to put behind their heartbreaking European exit as they host in-form Fulham who have thrashed Nottingham Forest and West Ham United at Craven Cottage in west London to record two 5-0 wins in 3 days, to try and return to winning ways in the Premier League.

AC Milan host Monza in their Italian Serie A clash on Sunday 17 December, as they look to bounce back from their loss at Bergamo as they will be without Davide Calabria due to suspension.

POST MATCH PHOTOS:

A disappointed Eddie Howe shakes hands with AC Milan's Alessandro Florenzi after the game.

Match-winner Samuel Chukwueze celebrates with the visiting support and his teammates after the match ended 2-1 to AC Milan

Tijjani Reijnders was awarded the MOTM for his brilliant performance in the midfield for AC Milan.