Newcastle became the latest victim of an incredulous VAR decision as they were denied a huge win at Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Group F, dubbed the 'group of death' when drawn to pit these two alongside European giants AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund, has more than lived up to its billing and will go down to the final matchday.
However, Newcastle need to beat Milan at St. James' Park and hope the already-qualified Dortmund deny PSG a victory in Germany after their lead was lost in the 98th minute on Tuesday.
Alexander Isak's rebound set the Magpies on their way in Paris and they held firm deep into stoppage time before the remarkable decision to award PSG a penalty for Tino Livramento's handball in the area.
A penalty for this? 🧐#UCL pic.twitter.com/igMqwYkMDC
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 28, 2023
A cross popped up off the defender's chest at close-range and onto his elbow, in an incident initially turned away by World Cup final referee Szymon Marciniak before he made the baffling decision to reverse his call at the monitor.
Kylian Mbappe netted the penalty past the excellent Nick Pope to break Newcastle hearts in the city of love. It will be little solace that what ultimately denied them after a fine performance is a VAR system which has become public enemy No1 in European football, if not global sport.
Mbappe started in ominous mood as he and Lee Kang-in combined repeatedly down the left and Pope had to save the PSG skipper's audacious flick with his feet after Randal Kolo Muani had played full-back Achraf Hakimi into space with an equally deft touch.
However, the visitors should have taken a 12th-minute lead when Almiron dispossessed Hakimi and crossed low to Isak at the near post only to see the striker lift his first-time shot agonisingly over.
They did with 24 minutes gone when full-back Livramento embarked on a scything run which took him past Dembele, Hakimi, Fabian Ruiz, Milan Skriniar, Manuel Ugarte and Lee before he fed Almiron on the right. The Paraguay international curled a shot towards the far post, where goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma could only push the ball out to Isak, who gleefully slammed it into the net.
Pope had to come to Isak's rescue after he lost possession and Dembele raced away and tried to steer the ball inside the far post as PSG responded, but for all their attacking flair, the French side were struggling to break down their English opponents.
Skriniar was perhaps fortunate not to be penalised for handball as he made a last-ditch attempt to deny Isak a clear run on goal in stoppage-time, but Pope was grateful for the sizeable presence of Fabian Schar in front of him to keep out Dembele's well-struck attempt from Mbappe's cross.
Isak was almost through on goal again within seconds of the restart after running on to Joelinton's defence-splitting pass before eventually being snuffed out by the recovering blue shirts and, with Anthony Gordon keeping the PSG defence occupied, frustration was mounting among the home ranks.
They might have been back in it, however, had Pope not raced from his line to block Dembele's 56th-minute toe-poke and the keeper was rewarded when Mbappe completely missed his as he attempted to acrobatically volley home the rebound.
The Magpies edged ever deeper as Luis Enrique's men fought desperately for a way back into the game and they almost got it with 66 minutes gone when Mbappe tricked his way past Schar and crossed for Barcola, whose point-blank effort was brilliantly saved by Pope.
Barcola fired wastefully into the side-netting after getting in behind the visitors' defence and Gordon survived a VAR review for a penalty after Hakimi had gone down under his challenge with Newcastle visibly tiring.
Pope blocked Mbappe's 87th-minute strike at his near post and saw the France international thump the rebound inches wide, but he was finally beaten at the death after Polish referee Szymon Marciniak had reviewed the incident in which Dembele's cross appeared to hit Livramento's side and loop up on to the underside of his arm and belatedly awarded a spot-kick.
