UCL: Newcastle boss Howe left ‘really flat’ after PSG draw

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has said he’s been left “flat” after PSG’s late equaliser in their draw in Paris.

Kylian Mbappe’s penalty on 98 minutes canceled out Alexander Isak’s opener for the visitors, though Newcastle’s Champions League round 16 hopes are alive.

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Howe 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.”

He also stated: “Nick [Pope] was like he was against AC Milan away when we needed a giant performance from him. The players accepted we had to defend well and defend our goal like our life depended on it. It looked like we got there. They missed some chances, you can’t deny that.

“When we’ve defended so well in that shape, with that personnel for so long, sometimes you make a change and it creates a mistake. Sometimes you twist, sometimes you stick. We decided to stick and obviously it didn’t work out.

“We’re still in it. That’s another thing we can’t forget. We could easily have come here and have not been in the competition anymore. We still believe. As much as it’s a huge, deflating feeling – it could be another story in our season.”