After the euphoric evisceration of Paris Saint-Germain, this was the downbeat sequel Newcastle did not want. After the feelgood stories of the Geordie boys scoring in the Champions League came a tale of gritty realism, of meeting their match in the teeming Tyneside rain. There was no triumphant farewell to Sandro Tonali, either: instead Newcastle lost to a goal by a midfielder they considered signing in the summer, in Felix Nmecha, and who Borussia Dortmund bought instead.
With Tonali likely to be banned for the rest of the season – he could learn his fate within days as an investigation into alleged breaches of betting rules nears its conclusion – Nmecha gave Newcastle an added reason to rue their choice.
