Newcastle hold AC Milan on Champions League return

Newcastle United’s Brazilian midfielder #39 Bruno Guimaraes (C) fights for the ball with AC Milan’s German defender #28 Malick Thiaw (L) and AC Milan’s American forward #11 Christian Pulisic during the UEFA Champions League 1st round group F football match between AC Milan and Newcastle at the San Siro stadium in Milan on September 19, 2023. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)

Newcastle held AC Milan to a goalless draw in Tuesday’s opening match of their first Champions League campaign in two decades.

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle will be the happier of the two sides to earn a point from the Group F clash at the San Siro after being on the back foot for the vast majority of the match.

Milan should have won after wasting a string of chances, particularly in the first half, and dominating the play on Sandro Tonali’s return to his old stomping ground after being sold to Newcastle in July.

Milan sit top of a tough group before Paris Saint-Germain host Borussia Dortmund at the Parc des Princes later on Tuesday, level with their Premier League opposition.

Newcastle did little in their first match in Europe’s top club competition since 2003, the Saudi Arabia-backed team barely creating a chance and lucky to escape with a draw on the balance of play.

Tonali’s father was at the San Siro and saw much more football played by the hosts than by his son, back in the Newcastle starting line-up after missing international duty with injury.

The Italy midfielder was loudly cheered by home supporters who don’t resent his mega-money move to England before kick-off.

But home fans, who watched their team be thumped 5-1 by local rivals Inter Milan on Saturday, were left frustrated by their team’s poor finishing and Newcastle’s dogged defending which left the