The atmosphere at the Parc des Princes has rarely been described as welcoming for visiting teams, but for Newcastle United, it seems to have become the site of a recurring nightmare.
In their final Champions League league phase encounter against Paris Saint-Germain, the Magpies were forced to relive a sense of injustice that felt all too familiar. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, a result that guarantees a two-legged play-off for a spot in the last sixteen, but the scoreline tells only half the story.
The real drama unfolded not just on the pitch, but in the corridors of the stadium, where cameras captured the raw frustration of a team that felt cheated by the officiating.
Eddie Howe decided to take a tactical gamble for this high-stakes match. He shifted away from his traditional 4-3-3 setup, opting instead for a 3-4-3 formation. This meant deploying Lewis Miley and Lewis Hall as wingbacks, a move designed to provide more defensive cover while maintaining a threat on the counter.
However, the plan was almost immediately undermined by a controversial decision from referee Slavko Vincic. Very early in the contest, the ball ricocheted off a PSG player and struck Miley’s hand from point-blank range.
Despite the young midfielder being only a yard away and having no time to react, the VAR intervened. Vincic was called to the monitor, and in a move that mirrored the infamous penalty awarded against Tino Livramento two years ago, he pointed to the spot.
Justice, however, appeared to be wearing a Newcastle shirt in that moment. Nick Pope, who has been in sensational form, guessed correctly and produced a stunning save to deny Ousmane Dembele.
The away end erupted, feeling that a great wrong had been righted. The game then settled into a frantic rhythm. PSG took the lead through Vitinha, but Newcastle showed incredible resilience.
Just before the interval, Joe Willock found the back of the net to level the scores, ensuring the Magpies went into the break with their heads held high.
But the perceived unfairness of the first half had clearly left a mark on the Newcastle staff and players. As the whistle blew for half-time, TNT Sports cameras positioned in the tunnel captured scenes of intense emotion.
Assistant manager Jason Tindall and defender Dan Burn were seen cornering the Slovenian official. Burn was particularly animated, using wide gestures to point out the hypocrisy of the referee’s decisions.
The source of their anger was twofold: they were still fuming over the Miley penalty, but they were also incensed by a later incident involving PSG captain Marquinhos.
Shortly before Willock’s equalizer, the ball appeared to strike Marquinhos’ arm in the box in a fashion almost identical to the Miley incident. However, in this instance, there was no VAR review, no walk to the monitor, and no penalty for Newcastle.
The lack of consistency was staggering. Burn was seen gesticulating about exactly where the ball had hit each player, clearly arguing that if one was a foul, the other had to be as well.
Tindall, never one to shy away from a confrontation, was right by his side, making sure the official knew exactly what the coaching staff thought of his performance.
Back in the television studio, former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given was equally perplexed. He described the early penalty as the “worst possible start” and argued that by any reasonable standard, it shouldn’t have been a foul.
Given pointed out that the ball actually hit PSG’s Bradley Barcola on the arm first before hitting Miley, who was simply in a natural running motion. He emphasized that while the ball did touch the hand, there was zero intent or ability to avoid it.
His main grievance, however, echoed the sentiments of Burn and Tindall: the complete lack of consistency. He questioned why the referee didn’t feel the need to check the Marquinhos incident when the two events were so similar in nature.
The 1-1 draw is a respectable result on the road against the reigning French champions, but it leaves Newcastle with a more difficult path ahead. Because they couldn’t secure the win that would have propelled them into the top eight, they must now prepare for a knockout play-off round next month.
This adds two more high-intensity games to an already crowded fixture list. For the fans, the result is bittersweet. While they are proud of the team’s fighting spirit, the feeling of “what if” lingers. If the referee had been consistent, or if the VAR had stayed quiet during that first chaotic moment, Newcastle might be celebrating an automatic spot in the round of sixteen today.
Instead, they are left to reflect on another controversial night in Paris that proved some things in football simply never change.
