19 September 2023 , 20:14
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Thousands of Newcastle fans were left stranded at the San Siro after Milan's metro service was briefly suspended on Tuesday.
The Magpies played out a goalless draw against AC Milan in Italy, with thousands of supporters travelling from the UK to watch their club's first Champions League game in two decades. Newcastle were tipped to lose but defied the odds against Milan.
Yet panic ensued when Newcastle fans left the San Siro. Milan's metro line was brought to a halt, leaving fans worried about how they would get home. It takes nearly two hours to walk from the San Siro to the city centre.
Thankfully, Milan's metro service resumed within an hour of the suspension. Mirror Football's Simon Bird was at the San Siro and witnessed the "shambolic" drama unfold. The brief suspension ensured the service wouldn't be too busy amid the large crowds.
Milan had 25 shots at Newcastle's goal, with Eddie Howe's side failing to hit the target in reply. The Magpies produced an outstanding defensive performance to keep the seven-time European Cup winners quiet, with goalkeeper Nick Pope earning the plaudits.
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"Nick Pope was outstanding today," Eddie Howe told BBC Radio 5 Live at full-time. "He was excellent (in our recent 1-0 win) against Brentford. It is no coincidence two big displays from him and two clean sheets, absolutely crucial for us.
"The way we defended was commendable, blocked shots, the amount of times we threw ourselves in front of the ball. You cannot underestimate the power of that draw.
"You can’t underestimate the difficulties of coming here, the emotion of the game, new experiences, we had to take a lot on board today. We can improve but growth and improvement is always things we look to do. We can be very positive about our next game."
Newcastle fans were forced to walk before the metro service resumed (Simon Bird)Did you watch AC Milan vs Newcastle at the San Siro on Tuesday evening? If so, let us know in the comments below!
Howe believes it could be a "vital point" for Newcastle heading into their next five Champions League group games. The Premier League side will also face Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain and German giants Borussia Dortmund in Group F.
Newcastle will face PSG and Dortmund at home before their next away trip in Europe. They travel to Germany to face Dortmund on November 7 and to France on November 28 to play PSG. Newcastle's final group game is at home to Milan on December 13.
Howe added: "I thought the crowd were very good for Milan tonight. It was a hostile atmosphere and the players had to adjust to that and that is why I don’t think you can underestimate the performance and point. It will look better and better as time goes on. New experiences for a lot of us tonight and hopefully we can grow from this."