Newcastle United were just moments away from earning a historic three points at the Parc Des Princes to complete the double over French champions Paris Saint-Germain until a pointed arm from Szymon Marciniak handed the hosts a controversial penalty in the eighth minute of stoppage time.
It was harsh on Tino Livramento who had been utterly brilliant all night as his outstretched arm made contact with the ball. Who else but Kylian Mbappe dispatched the penalty, breaking the hearts of the Magpies who are now forced to rely on getting all three points at home to AC Milan in a fortnight on the final day of the group stage, while hoping that Borussia Dortmund can topple PSG.
Alexander Isak opened the scoring for the visitors in the 24th minute, marking his European return with a goal and making it two from two, having found the net at the weekend as well during a 4-1 thrashing of Chelsea.
However, there was one star that shone the brightest for head coach Eddie Howe in what was a disappointing end to the game.
Newcastle United's game in numbers
While Newcastle fans may not be overly keen to hear this, a draw was a good result given the balance of play.
In fact, a PSG victory wouldn't have been a robbery either. Les Parisiens held 72% of the ball during the game to the Magpies' 28%, but what is more damning is the expected goals (xG) comparison. The home team boasted an xG of 4.47 from a whopping 31 shots on the night to Newcastle's 1.48 from merely five opportunities at goal.
Additionally, Isak's goal inside the six-yard box recorded an xG of 0.71 alone, meaning the remaining four strikes had a total xG of just 0.77, with three coming from outside the penalty area, according to FotMob.
The English side were very much on the back foot throughout the game. As per WhoScored's player positions map, the only Newcastle United star who positioned himself above the halfway line on average was Isak.
The rest were parked inside their own half. Miguel Almiron, Bruno Guimaraes and Livramento made more tackles combined than PSG's entire team during the game, proving just how defensive Howe's team had to be.
Nevertheless, Howe and his players can thank one man in particular for even getting out of the game with a point for their efforts.
Nick Pope's game in numbers
Nick Pope was certainly Newcastle's hero during the game. The English goalkeeper faced 31 shots in total, with twenty coming from inside the penalty area, but it took a 98th-minute spot-kick for Mbappe to put the ball past him finally.
According to FotMob, Pope made six saves over the course of the match and five inside the box which led to 2.48 goals prevented in total.
The ex-Burnley keeper's display was so impressive that he earned a 7.9 match rating from Sofascore which was more than any other Newcastle United player, while just Mbappe and PSG midfielder Fabian Ruiz received a higher score. Meanwhile, Isak ended the game with a 6.7 rating.
Pope made one save just after the hour mark from Bradley Barcola which was truly astonishing and even led TNT Sports commentator Darren Fletcher to call it "one of the saves of his life".
Journalist Martin Hardy from The Times also tweeted that Pope has faced 97 shots in total in the Champions League this season but has conceded merely five goals, one coming last night from the penalty spot. Following another excellent shift in the opening gameweek against AC Milan in a goalless draw at the San Siro, manager Howe called his shot-stopper "outstanding". That is certainly apt in this scenario too, with Shields Gazette journalist Dominic Scurr handing him a 9/10 match rating.
Incidentally, the 31-year-old didn't receive a call-up to the England national team for the most recent international break. His performance in the French capital might make Gareth Southgate feel a little foolish as he continues to excel at St. James' Park and reach new heights.