Newcastle 1-2 Milan: Player ratings as Magpies crash out of Champions League

Newcastle United crashed out of the Champions League and Europe altogether on Wednesday evening, falling to a 2-1 defeat at home to Milan.

Joelinton gave Newcastle a deserved lead heading into the break thanks to his powerful effort from inside the area, with Milan struggling to create too many openings of their own. However, Christian Pulisic levelled after the break and Samuel Chukwueze completed a remarkable comeback late on.

With Paris Saint-Germain having only managed a 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund in the other group game, a win would have seen Newcastle qualify for the knockout stages of the competition. In the end, they missed out on a reprieve in the Europa League too - that place went to Milan instead.

How the game unfolded

While Newcastle were also relying on Dortmund to do them a favour against PSG in the other group game, the Magpies knew they needed to win against Milan to stand a chance of going through.

A cacophonous atmosphere inside St James' Park certainly gave Newcastle a helping hand in the early stages, but it took until the 20-minute mark for their first clear-cut opening. Joelinton was fed inside the penalty area by Kieran Trippier before prodding beyond Mike Maignan, but, unfortunately for the hosts, Fikayo Tomori was there to clear off the line.

There was a warning sign for Newcastle when Milan forward Rafael Leao fired wide from a tight angle, but it was Joelinton that would provide the first goal of the game in emphatic fashion. Collecting the ball in the area, the Brazilian unleashed a venomous strike with his right foot that flew beyond the helpless Maignan, St James' Park erupting as his effort smashed the back of the net.

Milan came out for the second half knowing they needed to improve drastically to keep their slim qualification hopes alive and it took just over ten minutes for the Italian side to level proceedings. Tomori's miscued effort fell at the feet of Giroud inside the penalty area, the striker laying off for former Chelsea winger Pulisic to power home from close range.

Bruno Guimaraes was millimetres away from restoring Newcastle's lead shortly afterwards, his well-struck shot impressively palmed on to the crossbar by Maignan. Leao could well have completed the turnaround at the other end, however, firing a shot off the post after going through one-on-one with Martin Dubravka.

With the Magpies pushing and pushing for a much-needed winner, they were caught cold on the counter-attack by Milan. Substitute Chukwueze, who had only been on the pitch for a few minutes, curled a wonderful strike beyond Dubravka on his left foot to break Newcastle hearts.

Despite a spirited effort, Newcastle's defeat sent them out of European football altogether, with Milan claiming third place and a Europa League spot with victory.

Newcastle Player ratings (4-3-3)

GK: Martin Dubravka - 6/10 - Recovered from illness just in time to feature against Milan and was largely a spectator. Couldn't do much with Milan's equaliser or winner.

RB: Kieran Trippier - 7/10 - Found plenty of space in Milan's half and was rarely tracked by Leao. Solid defensively as well before being substituted after the hour mark.

CB: Jamaal Lascelles - 7/10 - Thrived in the kind of physical battle he enjoys up against Olivier Giroud.

CB: Fabian Schar - 6/10 - A characteristically committed defensive performance from the Swiss international, throwing himself into every challenge and in front of every shot necessary. Caught upfield for Milan's winner.

LB: Tino Livramento - 7/10 - It's easy to forget that Livramento is actually a right-back by trade, the young defender putting in another impressive display on the left flank. Eventually switched back to his favoured right side in the second half.

CM: Lewis Miley - 8/10 - Showed wonderful maturity, yet again, in central midfield and provided the assist for Joelinton's wonderful effort. Another effortless display.

CM: Bruno Guimaraes - 7/10 - A calming presence in the midfield, picking some delightful passes. Kept Newcastle ticking.

CM: Joelintion - 8/10 - Made some promising advanced runs that tested the Milan backline, rifling home Newcastle's opener brilliantly. A commanding display.

RW: Miguel Almiron - 6/10 - Typically energetic and was Newcastle's first line of defence. Didn't impact the game often enough in the Milan box.

ST: Callum Wilson - 6/10 - Replaced Alexander Isak in the starting lineup and had a mixed evening. Some decent hold-up play but struggled in the final third.

LW: Anthony Gordon - 6/10 - A bundle of energy from start to finish but couldn't cause Davide Calabria too many issues. Put in a hell of a shift before being withdrawn.

Substitutes

SUB: Alexander Isak (62' for Gordon) - 6/10

SUB: Dan Burn (62' for Trippier) - 6/10

SUB: Sean Longstaff (71' for Miley) - 6/10

Subs not used: Karius (GK), Harrison (GK), Dummett, Hall.

Manager

Eddie Howe - 6/10 - With injuries continuing to wreak havoc on his Newcastle side, he couldn't make too many alterations from the defeat at Tottenham on Sunday. His side did themselves justice in the first half, but ultimately lost a little control in the second.

Milan player ratings (4-2-3-1)

GK: Mike Maignan - 7/10 - One stunning stop to deny Guimaraes and was generally comfortable throughout. Helpless for Joelinton's effort.

RB: Davide Calabria - 7/10 - A strong defensive showing from the captain who dealt with Gordon competently down the right.

CB: Fikayo Tomori - 8/10 - Produced a sensational sliding goal-line clearance to deny Newcastle a first-half opener and was strong throughout.

CB: Theo Hernandez - 7/10 - Forced into an less familiar centre-back role but performed admirably, albeit his usual attacking threat was limited.

LB: Alessandro Florenzi - 8/10 - Called into action regularly but stood up to the test with some impressive defensive work.

CM: Tijani Reijnders - 6/10 - Composed in midfield and made some good runs beyond Newcastle's midfield.

CM: Yunus Musah - 6/10 - After a difficult first-half, Musah grew into the game. However, he didn't enjoy his best evening, often a little slow to the ball.

RM: Christian Pulisic - 7/10 - A livewire throughout and was in the right place at the right time for his second-half goal, showing great composure to fire beyond Dubravka.

AM: Ruben Loftus-Cheek - 7/10 - A strong outing on his return to England with some good contributions in both halves.

LM: Rafael Leao - 7/10 - Offered no defensive support to Florenzi down Milan's left but was a menace in Newcastle's half. Should have scored late on but hit the woodwork.

ST: Olivier Giroud - 7/10 - Plenty of deft touches and some beautiful hold-up play, producing an intelligent assist for Milan's equaliser.

Substitutes

SUB: Tommaso Pobega (73' for Loftus-Cheek) - 6/10

SUB: Luka Jovic (73' for Pulisic) - 7/10

SUB: Samuel Chukwueze (83' for Giroud) - 9/10 - Produced a stunning winner for Milan that kept them in Europe.

SUB: Noah Okafor (83' for Musah) - 7/10

SUB: Davide Bartesaghi (88' for Leao) - N/A

Subs not used: Nava (GK), Mirante (GK), Krunic, Traore, Adli, Nsiala.

Manager

Stefano Pioli - 9/10 - After a flat first half from his side, Milan were much better in the second, turning the game on its head. His substitutes made the difference, combining for the winner.

Player of the Match: Fikayo Tomori (Milan)

READ THE LATEST CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS, PREVIEWS & RATINGS HERE