Eddie Howe has blamed “extreme pressure” from Paris Saint-Germain’s fans for the referee’s decision to award a divisive penalty against Newcastle.
Newcastle were 1-0 up against PSG going into injury time and were attempting to hang on to a result that would have reinvigorated their Champions League hopes. However, a penalty was awarded after the ball bounced off the chest of Tino Livramento and onto his hand, and Mbappe scored from the spot, with Howe pinning the blame not on the officials, but on the bear-pit atmosphere in the Parc des Princes.
The result leaves Newcastle’s hopes of progression essentially in tatters. Borussia Dortmund have already qualified and PSG will only need a point against the German club to progress. The Magpies must beat Milan and hope that Dortmund beat PSG. Were Howe’s side to lose, they also run the risk of missing out on the Europa League by finishing bottom of the group, and being dumped out of Europe altogether.
Howe was quizzed on the decision and said: “I’m still coming to terms with it. I feel really flat but at the same time really pleased with what the players gave today. Their commitment, execution… We rode our luck. We ran out of luck at the end. I didn’t think it was a penalty. What you don’t take into account with those replays is how quick the ball goes. It hits his chest first. If it hits his hands first, well it’s still not a penalty because he’s so close. But you can make more of a case. It’s not a penalty when it hits his chest first and then hits his hand which is low. I’m not allowed to sum it up. I can’t say my inner thoughts obviously [I’d get in trouble]. I thought the referee was having a good game up until this moment. He had been strong.”
They are going to have to dust themselves down and go again. They remain in with a small shout of progression, and will simply have to beat Milan and hope for the best. Before that, they face a tough test when they face Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.
