Newcastle United once again frustrated Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, but a 1-1 draw at the Parc des Princes left both sides needing to navigate the play-off round.
The holders and the Magpies entered the final group-stage match knowing a win would secure automatic last-16 qualification.
Instead, they finished 11th and 12th, respectively, and will face either Monaco or Qarabag next month.
Vitinha gave PSG an early lead in the eighth minute after Lewis Miley was harshly penalised for a handball in the area just 46 seconds into the game.
Nick Pope brilliantly denied Ousmane Dembele’s penalty, but the goalkeeper could not prevent Vitinha from scoring a fine effort from outside the box.
An injury to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia disrupted PSG’s rhythm, allowing Newcastle to gain a foothold. Joe Willock capitalised from a set-piece, nodding in Dan Burn’s flick on the stroke of half-time to level the scores.
The second half was far more balanced, with chances for both sides. Newcastle nearly snatched all three points, as Harvey Barnes saw a low shot saved and later sliced another chance agonisingly wide. The miss ensured both sides would have to contest the play-off round.
Dembele, last season’s Champions League hero and Ballon d’Or winner, was heavily involved again, taking seven of PSG’s 25 shots and all three of their big chances, yet he could not convert.
Newcastle managed only 1.0 expected goals but were deserving of a point after surviving an early onslaught.
The result keeps Newcastle unbeaten in their last three encounters with PSG and sets up a high-stakes play-off showdown for both sides.
