At times Nick Pope could have been forgiven for believing he was taking on Milan single-handedly but Newcastle’s goalkeeper rose to the challenge, earning Eddie Howe’s side a, perhaps, slightly fortuitous opening Champions League point.
A combination of Pope’s multiple saves, Milanese profligacy and visiting resilience ensured that Newcastle departed northern Italy wearing a cloak of respectability yet this was not quite the return to Europe’s showpiece competition that Howe had so craved.
Following their 20-year absence from this competition, he had hoped his team would take the…
