Support truly
independent journalism
There was green, white and red among the black and white, a sprinkling of tricolore flags brought by the people of Tyneside. Sandro Tonali hugged a Newcastle supporter. He had his arm around his manager, too, amid celebrations that marked more than just a penalty-shootout victory over Nottingham Forest. Banned for 10 months, Tonali looked slick and quick on his comeback, enviably classy on the ball, ambitious in the passes he played and the runs he made. He may be ring-rusty and short of match sharpness, but he still looked the statement signing he was supposed to be.
