What Newcastle United really deserved from their 6 Champions League Group F performances | OneFootball

Champions League Group F is now concluded.

The Group of Death is no more.

I know that all football fans live in a bubble to at least some extent where their own team is concerned, however, I do think fair to say that by some considerable distance, Champions League Group F was far more talked about by neutrals than any of the other seven.

Indeed, at times, it felt a bit like the NUFC group was talked about more than the other seven combined, by / amongst the neutrals.

Anyway, after Wednesday night, we are now done with the group.

Champions League Group F – Newcastle United results:

AC Milan 0 Newcastle 0

Newcastle 4 PSG 1

Newcastle 0 Borussia Dortmund 1

PSG 1 Newcastle 1

Newcastle 1 AC Milan 2

This is how Champions League Group F ended up:

So what did Newcastle United really deserve from their performances in Champions League Group F and where did they really deserve to finish in the table / group?

I have watched all of Newcastle’s six group matches on TV, after recording each game. I was also there in the stadium(s) for four of the six, unable to get to the other two I watched them in the pub with friends.

So this is my take, for what it is worth, on what Newcastle United actually deserved on their performance in each match.

Match One

A really great battling performance, Nick Pope and his defence excellent. However, you can’t argue that on balance of play AC Milan didn’t deserve to win this one by some distance.

Match Two

Another easy one, Newcastle by far the better side and deserving the win over PSG.

Match Three

Maybe the most contentious of these six BUT for sure I think Newcastle deserved to win this Dortmund home game, never mind losing it.

So much nonsense is talked after so many games, based purely on the scoreline.

Dortmund were decent early on but then Newcastle got on top and started controlling the game, then just when it looked like NUFC were on the point of opening the visitors up, Anthony Gordon just failed to get past something like the fourth opponent in a dangerous attacking diagonal run. Dortmund won the ball and were clinical in getting that goal just before half-time.

Much is made of Dortmund shutting Newcastle out in that second half but reality was that only the woodwork saved them twice with the keeper well beaten, whilst United had other great chances including a sitter that Wilson failed to put away. Dortmund without a single effort on target in the entire second half.

For me, Newcastle definitely did enough to win and just one of those games where you simply don’t get what your performance warrants.

Match Four

No complaints about this defeat.

Newcastle United could still have drawn or even won this, especially if Joelinton hadn’t somehow missed that glaring chance. However, Dortmund’s performance clearly better than the visitors over the 90 minutes.

Very similar story to Match One. For Milan, read Paris.

Even though United were robbed of a win by that penalty decision, only an inspired Nick Pope and some gritty defending prevented a comfortable win for the home side.

Match Six

Just as AC Milan clearly deserved to win against Newcastle in the San Siro, obviously Newcastle were far better than the Serie A side at St James’ Park and without doubt their performance deserved a home win.

Alternative final Champions League Group F table

I can’t say for sure about the other six group matches between the other three teams as I didn’t watch them, just the goals / highlights.

However, if I feed my alternative Newcastle United results, based on the side’s performances, we get a final table showing the following points totals and placings:

10 PSG

7  AC Milan

I think that was my alternative table and the reality one both show that this was indeed the proverbial Group of Death, where it was impossible to call, where any team could beat another. With so many twists and turns AND not always teams getting the points their performances deserved.