European exit for Newcastle as Milan come from behind at St James' Park

Samuel Chukwueze came off the bench to end Newcastle's Champions League adventure as AC Milan fought back from a goal down to win at St James' Park.

On a night when both sides needed to win to stand any chance of progressing, goals from Christian Pulisic and Chukwueze handed the Serie A side a 2-1 victory which was not enough to prolong their involvement in the competition following a 1-1 draw between Borussia Dortmund and Paris St Germain in Germany.

Seven-time winners Milan at least have the consolation of a Europa League berth while Eddie Howe's men, who took a 33rd-minute lead through Joelinton's piledriver in front of a crowd of 52,037, slipped out of Europe all together after finishing bottom of Group F in their first campaign since 2002-03.

Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka shook off a bout of illness which had threatened his participation to retain his place in the team with striker Callum Wilson making his first start since damaging a hamstring during the 2-0 defeat at Dortmund on 7 November.

Such have been head coach Howe's selection problems that only four of the men who started the reverse fixture in September - Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon - did so on Tyneside.

St James' reverberated as an expectant home crowd played its part, and Gordon's early challenge on full-back Davide Calabria was cheered almost as appreciatively as a goal on a night when the stakes could hardly have been higher.

Trippier curled a sixth-minute free-kick over Mike Maignan's crossbar after Pulisic had bundled Gordon to the ground as the Magpies maintained their early intensity, although the visitors with experienced striker Olivier Giroud providing a focal point, gradually eased their way into the game.

For all