Newcastle Hold on for a Hard-Earned Point in Dominant Milan Draw
Milan, Italy – Newcastle United secured a valuable point in their return to theChampions League, holding a dominant AC Milan to a 0-0 draw at the San Siro. The Magpies, playing in the competition for the first timesince 2003, faced a daunting task against last year’s semi-finalists, but emerged with a hard-fought draw thanks to acombination of resolute defending and some missed opportunities by the hosts.
Despite qualifying for the group stages for the first time in over two decades, Newcastle looked overawed in the first half, with Milan creating numerous chances. Nick Pope, theNewcastle goalkeeper, was the hero of the first half, making four crucial saves to keep the score level. He denied Tommaso Pobega, Samuel Chukwueze, and Olivier Giroud, while also tipping a header from Theo Hernandez overthe crossbar.
Milan’s best chance of the first half fell to Rafael Leao, who tripped himself up attempting a backheel after a mazy run into the six-yard box.
The second half saw a more subdued performance from Milan, with Newcastle managing to hold their own. However, theintensity that saw them secure a top-four finish in the Premier League last season was largely absent.
Deep into stoppage time, Newcastle finally mustered a shot on target, with Sean Longstaff’s powerful effort being tipped over by Milan substitute goalkeeper Marco Sportiello.
Howe: Point Will Look BetterWith Time
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe acknowledged the significance of the point, stating that it will look better as time goes on. He emphasized the difficulties of playing in such a hostile environment, with the emotion of the game and the new experiences for his players.
I thought the crowd were very good for Milan, Howe added, acknowledging the passionate support for the home side.
Looking Ahead
The draw in Milan will give Newcastle confidence as they prepare for their next Champions League fixture against Paris Saint-Germain at St. James’ Park next month. While the performance against Milan was far from perfect, the point gained insuch a difficult away fixture is a valuable asset in what promises to be a competitive group stage.
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