Newcastle United made their long-awaited comeback to the Champions League against AC Milan at San Siro where they claimed a point as the match ended 0-0.
When a match ends at 0-0, you might think that the game was boring. However, that was not the case when at San Siro, AC Milan and Newcastle United played a 0-0 draw and shared a point. A total of 31 shots were taken in the game and only 6 of them were by Newcastle. So, in terms of chances created, Milan surely had the upper hand. However, when it comes to ball possession, it’s quite even.
So, Newcastle got a point by digging deep and keeping a clean sheet. This is the second game in a row where Nick Pope wasn’t beaten. Thus, it is an important point for the Magpies as they were playing away at a historic ground like San Siro. So, here are the 3 reasons why Newcastle were able to amass an important point against the Rossoneri.
Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope
Nick Pope has to be the star of the show for the Magpies. His saves were fantastic. Now, those who don’t know the craft of goalkeeping would say that he had to make regulation saves. However, his positioning in between the sticks made those saves look simple. And, that is the brilliance of Nick Pope in this game.
Newcastle’s defence (ft. Kieran Trippier)
AC Milan had 25 shots and only 9 of them were on goal. Look, initially in the game and especially in the first half, Newcastle’s defence was leaky and that is why Rafael Leao was getting in behind. However, as the game progressed, the defence got better at doing the job and you have to give a special shoutout to Kieran Trippier. The way he shut Leao down was just brilliant.
Milan’s lack of attacking venom (ft. Leao and Giroud)
Yes, Newcastle’s defence had a good game but you can’t say the same for Milan’s attack. Rafael Leao should have scored in that game. He was a menace for Newcastle’s defence until Trippier took charge of him and shutting him down completely. It is hard to believe that he wasn’t taken off by Stefano Pioli. Olivier Giroud also had a game to forget.
The second-half tactical change from Eddie Howe prevented Milan from causing more tense situations in the backline of the Magpies. The Geordies were surely happy with a point as they would now look to welcome perhaps the toughest side in this group of death, the Parisians at St. James’ Park. It will be a very important game for Eddie Howe and his men as they will be looking to build on this performance at San Siro.