It had been 20 years since Borussia Dortmund won a Uefa Champions League fixture in Italy. The visits have been frequent enough, the outcomes always frustrating. Just when they really needed a victory, along comes a fearless winger not even born the last time Dortmund returned home triumphant from the land of stubborn defending.
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens is the latest precocious Englishman to accelerate his development at Dortmund – Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham being his pathfinders – and on Tuesday he was making his first start in Europe’s leading club competition.
San Siro is hardly the gentlest venue for such a milestone, yet within nine minutes of kick off against AC Milan, he was duelling fearlessly. A burst of pace and a featherlight prod of the ball past his marker Davide Calabria put the Milan captain into a panic, Bynoe-Gittens fouled and a penalty awarded. Marco Reus converted.
This being the utterly gripping Group F of this season’s Champions League, there was still drama to play out before the youngster completed his fairy-tale. Milan equalised before half-time, and the hierarchy of the group kept shifting. Newcastle United, who started the night bottom but still with the possibility of rising two places, were leading 1-0 in a raucous Parc des Princes against Paris Saint-Germain.
Through its five matchdays so far, Group F has been everything it was billed as: a tight matrix of former European champions – Milan and Dortmund – with superwealthy risers in Qatar-funded PSG and Newcastle, back in Uefa’s elite tournament for the first time in two decades less than two years after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund took a majority stake in the club.
There has been suspense – nowhere more than in Paris late on Tuesday, when PSG snatched an equaliser through a late, controversial penalty, awarded via a referee’s surprising interpretation of VAR replays of the ball hitting the arm of Newcastle’s Tino Livramento having come off the same player’s chest.
Kylian Mbappe converted, for this third goal in a group where Newcastle had previously beaten PSG 4-1, lost twice to Dortmund, and held Milan, who in turn have beaten PSG in Italy.
That Mbappe would be a central figure in the group’s ebb-and-flow was predictable. What nobody would have foreseen in August was the impact on it of several very young tyros. With one fixture left, only Dortmund are guaranteed progress and it was 19-year-old Bynoe-Gittens who did more than anybody to push them over that line.
At 1-1 in San Siro, Dortmund were facing a treacherous final game next month, up against a hungry, needy PSG. Bynoe-Gittens spared them, with a cool, mature finish, set up by Marcel Sabitzer, for 2-1 on the way to a 3-1 Dortmund win.
“This was only the start from him, the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his skills,” beamed Dortmund’s manager Edin Terzic of the young winger, who, like Sancho, came to Germany after developing at Manchester City’s academy.
“There is specific, further developing to come,” noted Niclas Fullkrug, the experienced Dortmund centre-forward, giving advice on how Bynoe-Gittens can improve on the volume of crosses he provides to the likes of himself.
“When he plays with his head up more often, to see where his teammates are, he will become even more effective,” said Fullkrug. “But he’s been great for the team.”
Over in Paris, Newcastle gave a first Champions League start to a 17-year-old, Lewis Miley. And boy, did the local lad put in the miles, through 90 minutes of diligent blocking and tracking in the defensive aspects of his midfield role and glimpses of the creative instincts that, only three days earlier, had been put on show during a 4-1 Premier League win over Chelsea.
But 17 no longer seems so precocious in the European Cup. If an injury crisis at Newcastle has accelerated Miley’s promotion to the first team, PSG’s biggest injury issue is the calf problem that has ruled out midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery until well into the new year.
Zaire-Emery only turns 18 in March, made his first start in the Champions League a mere nine months ago. Yet across the first four matchdays of this season’s competition, nobody at any club has provided more assists than he has.
As for Milan, they responded to Dortmund’s third goal, a scoreline that has plunged them to the foot of Group F, by giving a senior debut, off the bench and into a hectic last quarter hour, to their 18-year-old winger Chaka Traore.
By Milan’s recent standards, he’s a veteran. At the weekend, they gave the prodigy Francesc Camarda his first-team bow in Serie A.
Camarda only turns 16 in the spring and is too young, under Uefa rules on minors without a senior contract, to be eligible for next month’s trip to Newcastle. There, a victory could still catapult Milan up to second place in a group that keeps giving – and keeps blessing fresh young talent.
PSG v Newcastle – player ratings
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PSG PLAYER RATINGS: Made two saves to keep PSG in the game. Could have done better with Newcastle's goal. Getty Images -
Played a huge role in PSG's attack despite primarily being a defender. Teed up Mbappe for the first attempt on goal of the game with a lovely cross in the ninth minute. Should have ended the game with at least an assist. AFP -
Looked solid in defence but failed to do much going forward despite PSG dominating possession. AFP -
Wasn’t really called into action due to PSG dominating most of the game. Tried to help build attacks by stepping into midfield. AP -
Came across at the last minute to stop Gordon from getting on the end of Guimaraes’s through-ball. Made several interceptions, including a last-ditch tackle to stop Isak from running through on goal in the first half. AFP -
Kept things simple at the base of PSG’s midfield. Could have done better with his attacking contribution in the first half. Denied by a block from Guimaraes in the 44th minute. AP -
Influential in PSG’s midfield that dominated Newcastle, but he struggled with his final passes to set up the attacking trio. AFP -
Forced Pope into a routine save from the edge of the penalty area on the stroke of half-time. Carved out several chances with his intricate play, but the PSG frontline failed to apply the finishing touch. AFP -
Should have at least made Pope work when he had a chance from a free-kick in the 22nd minute. Denied a goal from point-blank range by a block from Schar on the stroke of half-time. Won the penalty that led to the equaliser. EPA -
Forced Pope into a vital stop with an improvised flick to direct Hakimi’s cross on target. Used his trickiness to get past two Newcastle defenders and served the ball on a plate for Barcola to score. Grabbed the all-important equaliser with a well-taken penalty into the roof of the net in the seventh minute of extra time. AFP -
The least effective of PSG’s attacking trio, Muani struggled to get involved and was rightly taken off on the hour mark. Played Dembele through on goal with a lovely flick in the 56th minute. EPA -
SUBS: (Kolo Muani 61') Should have scored with arguably his first touch of the game, but Pope provided a crucial save to deny the youngster. Had another chance to score two minutes later, but he chose the wrong option of trying to beat Pope at his near post. Could have had a hat-trick on the night. Reuters -
(Ugarte 62') Tried to test Pope from the edge of the penalty area in injury time but Guimaraes denied him with a brave block. Added fresh legs and energy to PSG's midfield. AFP -
(Lee Kang-in 82') Had a go from range in the 89th minute, but his effort flew high and wide. Had another shot from the edge of the penalty area three minutes later, but he failed to keep his effort on target. Reuters -
(Pereira 85') Didn't really do much after coming except for picking up a yellow card for being in the referee’s ear. AFP -
NEWCASTLE PLAYER RATINGS: Did well to quickly step off his line to stop Dembele in the 56th minute. Made a world-class save to deny Barcola from point-blank range in the 64th minute. Made another crucial save to deny Mbappe late on. AFP -
The primary catalyst for Newcastle's goal as he went on a mazy run that pulled PSG’s defence out of shape before laying the ball off to Almiron. Must have felt aggrieved after he was penalised for a harsh handball in the penalty area in injury time. Getty Images -
Stuck to his task at the back. Wasn’t allowed space to make an impact in attack and was surprisingly poor with his set pieces. AP -
Provided a goal-saving block to deny Dembele in the second minute of first-half injury time. Stayed close to Dembele and forced him to hit a shot wide from close range in the 82nd minute. Made several clearances. AFP -
Led the backline well. Crucial in the air as Newcastle repeatedly cleared crosses into the penalty area throughout the game. AP -
The youngster was crucial to Newcastle’s deep midfield. Tucked in well to almost play as a third centre-back and made several blocks. Tracked back well to stop a cross from Dembele in the 41st minute. EPA -
Picked up the first yellow card of the match with a needless foul on Hernandez in the 22nd minute. Worked his socks off next to Guimaraes. Played most of the game in his own half as he tucked in to help repel PSG attacks. EPA -
A very disciplined and hardworking display from the Brazilian. Made several brave blocks with his body and never shied away from 50-50 challenges. AFP -
Dropped deep to help Livramento deal with the threat of Dembele and Hakimi. Caused PSG problems with his pace and repeatedly helped relieve pressure by winning fouls in the final third. Getty Images -
Played a huge part in the opener as his shot was parried into the path of Isak to hit home. Just like Gordon, Almiron also worked in tandem with Trippier to help deal with Mbappe. EPA -
Should have at least tested Donnarumma when Almiron set him up in the 12th minute. Opened the scoring against the run of play after Donnarumma spilled Almiron’s effort into his path in the 24th minute. AFP
