Kylian Mbappe struck a controversial penalty deep in stoppage time to earn Paris St Germain a 1-1 draw against a valiant Newcastle United and keep their Champions League destiny in their own hands on Tuesday.
The visitors had led the Group F clash since midway through the opening half thanks to Alexander Isak's tap-in and they weathered a furious late assault from the hosts only to be denied by a cruel and highly-contentious decision.
PSG's players howled loudly for handball when the ball bounced off Newcastle's Tino Livramento's chest and on to his elbow with referee Szymon Marciniak then invited to check the pitchside monitor by the VAR official.
To Newcastle's horror, Marciniak, who had turned down a more likely penalty earlier, pointed to the spot and Mbappe was as cool as a cucumber to fire high past keeper Nick Pope in the eighth minute of stoppage time.
It was a huge goal for Luis Enrique's side who had contrived to waste chance after chance and were seconds away from dropping down to third place in the group and in grave danger of failing to progress from the group stage to the knockout rounds for the first time since 2004-05.
As it is they are still not certain to make the last 16 but their prospects certainly look a lot better.
They have seven points from five games and face already qualified Borussia Dortmund (10) away in their final game.
"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."
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund proved the doubters wrong by securing qualification from a Champions League group of heavy hitters, head coach Edin Terzic said, after his side won 3-1 at AC Milan.
Dortmund got off to a woeful start in their campaign by taking just a point from their opening two matches, but then won three games straight to ensure a top-two finish in Group F.
"We all remember that evening after the draw when they reported about the 'Group of Death,'" Terzic told reporters.
"We also remember the first game in Paris when everyone told us after the defeat now it's going to be difficult.
"And then after the 0-0 at home against Milan, they said, yes, now it's over. And then we went there as leaders in this group," he added.
Reuters
Mbappe rescues PSG with last-gasp equaliser against Newcastle
Dortmund confound sceptics by qualifying from 'group of death'
Kylian Mbappe struck a controversial penalty deep in stoppage time to earn Paris St Germain a 1-1 draw against a valiant Newcastle United and keep their Champions League destiny in their own hands on Tuesday.
The visitors had led the Group F clash since midway through the opening half thanks to Alexander Isak's tap-in and they weathered a furious late assault from the hosts only to be denied by a cruel and highly-contentious decision.
PSG's players howled loudly for handball when the ball bounced off Newcastle's Tino Livramento's chest and on to his elbow with referee Szymon Marciniak then invited to check the pitchside monitor by the VAR official.
To Newcastle's horror, Marciniak, who had turned down a more likely penalty earlier, pointed to the spot and Mbappe was as cool as a cucumber to fire high past keeper Nick Pope in the eighth minute of stoppage time.
It was a huge goal for Luis Enrique's side who had contrived to waste chance after chance and were seconds away from dropping down to third place in the group and in grave danger of failing to progress from the group stage to the knockout rounds for the first time since 2004-05.
As it is they are still not certain to make the last 16 but their prospects certainly look a lot better.
They have seven points from five games and face already qualified Borussia Dortmund (10) away in their final game.
"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."
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund proved the doubters wrong by securing qualification from a Champions League group of heavy hitters, head coach Edin Terzic said, after his side won 3-1 at AC Milan.
Dortmund got off to a woeful start in their campaign by taking just a point from their opening two matches, but then won three games straight to ensure a top-two finish in Group F.
"We all remember that evening after the draw when they reported about the 'Group of Death,'" Terzic told reporters.
"We also remember the first game in Paris when everyone told us after the defeat now it's going to be difficult.
"And then after the 0-0 at home against Milan, they said, yes, now it's over. And then we went there as leaders in this group," he added.
Reuters