Newcastle United and AC Milan both crash out after dramatic Champions League group finale
OUT: Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes sits dejected. Photo credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire.
Newcastle United 1 AC Milan 2
IN the end the group of death caught up with Newcastle on a night when the term rollercoaster didn't even start to do justice to the emotions experienced by Eddie Howe's side.
For around half an hour they had a foot in the last 16 of the Champions League, for most of the rest of a topsy-turvy evening they at least had in their sights the consolation of a third place finish and a New Year's jaunt in the Europa League.
However, with six minutes remaining, a stylish swing of the left boot from Milan substitute Samuel Chukwueze found the far corner of the net beyond Martin Dubravka to complete a stirring comeback which left Newcastle with purely domestic ambitions for the remainder of the season.
A first goal at this level from Joelinton had them daring to dream, and had Mike Maignan not pushed a Bruno Guimaraes thunderbolt onto the bar when the hosts were a goal to the good, things could have panned out very differently.
From the very start, Newcastle never looked remotely like settling for the safe option of the draw that would seal their involvement in Europe in the New Year.
Prior to Joelinton's opener the two clearest chances they fashioned in a dominant first-half display fell to Miguel Almiron, who did everything right with the second of those, only to see his well-directed near post header from the ubiquitous Joelinton's inviting 26th-minute cross well held by Maignan.
It was harder to defend the Paraguayan for a glaring 20th-minute miss when his inability to use his right foot proved so costly.
A momentary delay to allow the ball to run across to his left foot as he met Joelinton's low pass two yards out allowed England defender Fikayo Tomori to pull off a stunning goal line block that he simply wouldn't have had a chance to make Almiron gone with his right.
It was forgotten when Joelinton ensured Newcastle would have something tangible to show for the way they controlled the first-half.
Some neat interplay inspired by Anthony Gordon down the left flank helped to work the ball into the Milan box, where Lewis Miley's square pass found the Brazilian, who took a touch before lashing an unstoppable shop into the top corner from 15 yards.
A Milan side set up to counter-attack largely failed in that respect, barring a fleeting chance midway through the first-half, when a slick move engineered space for Rafael Leao in the area, only for the Portuguese to end the move in disappointing fashion with a weak finish which failed to test Dubravka.
As news filtered through from Germany early in the second-half that Dortmund had taken what proved to be a short-lived lead against PSG, Newcastle stepped-up their search for the security blanket provided by a second goal.
Callum Wilson, the only change to Newcastle's starting XI, belied his understandable lack of match sharpness by sending a presentable chance from 20 yards straight at Maigan.
It was a wasted opportunity that was only magnified when the Italians levelled just before the hour as Christian Pulisic swept home from close range after an intelligent knockback from Olivier Giroud when Newcastle were carved open down their left.
The seven-time European Champions struck the frame of the goal either side of Chukwueze's dramatic first touch, as Newcastle were unable to produce a dramatic denouement, and despite emerging with an immense amount of credit from their return to the top table, that will mean little as they reflect on what might have been.
Dubravka 6; Trippier 6 (Burn 63, 6), Lascelles 6, Schar 6, Livramento 7; Miley 7 (Longstaff 71, 6), Guimaraes 7, Joelinton 8; Almiron 5, Wilson 6, Gordon 6 (Isak 62, 6).
Joelinton.
Maignan 7; Calabria 6, Tomori 8, Hernandez 7, Florenzi 6; Reijnders 6, Musah 6 (Chukwueze 83, 8); Pulisic 8 (Jovic 73, 6), Loftus-Cheek 7 (Pobega 73, 6), Rafael Leao 6 (Bartesaghi 88, 6); Giroud 7 (Okafore 83, 6).
Leao, Maignan, Jovic, Musah.
Danny Makkelie.
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