Kylian Mbappe converted a contentious penalty in the dying moments of stoppage time to secure a 1-1 draw for Paris St Germain against a resilient Newcastle United on Tuesday. The visitors had taken the lead in the Group F encounter with Alexander Isak's tap-in midway through the first half. Despite enduring a fierce late offensive from the hosts, they were ultimately thwarted by a harsh and highly-debated decision.
The PSG players vehemently appealed for a handball when the ball rebounded off Newcastle's Tino Livramento's chest onto his elbow. Referee Szymon Marciniak, prompted by the VAR official, was then summoned to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Much to Newcastle's dismay, Marciniak, who had previously rejected a more plausible penalty claim, ultimately pointed to the spot. In the eighth minute of stoppage time, Kylian Mbappe remained composed and cool-headed, firing a high shot past goalkeeper Nick Pope.
It was a crucial goal for Luis Enrique's team, who had deliberately wasted opportunity after opportunity and were only a few seconds away from falling to third place in the group and maybe missing out on qualifying for the knockout stages for the first time since 2004–05.
Even while their chances of making it to the final 16 are still uncertain, they now have much improved possibilities.
With five games played, they have seven points. Their final matchup is away against Borussia Dortmund (ten), who have already qualified.
Newcastle, with five points, are set to face Milan (5) in their last match, and both teams still have an opportunity to secure a second-place finish, contingent on PSG's result in Germany.
“I’m still coming to terms with it,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe told TNT Sport. “It hit his chest first. The referee is under pressure here with the crowd and the pressure is extreme and in the last seconds he’s given it.”
