Pope makes Champions League history with early penalty save | OneFootball

Nick Pope put in a standout performance as Newcastle United held holders Paris Saint-Germain to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday, making six saves and keeping his team in contention throughout the match.

The England goalkeeper made a huge early impact, denying a penalty from Ousmane Dembélé within the first five minutes, though PSG took the lead shortly after when Vitinha scored in the seventh minute.

Pope’s penalty stop puts him in rare company. He is just the third English goalkeeper since 1992/93 to save a penalty in the Champions League. The first was Richard Wright for Arsenal against Panathinaikos in 2001, followed by Joe Hart, who saved five penalties across spells with Manchester City and Celtic.

This season, Pope has featured in seven of Newcastle’s eight group-stage games, helping his side concede only seven goals - bettered only by Arsenal, who have let in four so far in the Champions League.

It’s shaping up to be a Champions League season to remember for Pope, who has even made his mark beyond goalkeeping. In their 3-0 win over Benfica, Pope provided a remarkable assist with a long throw that reached Harvey Barnes in space near the halfway line. This makes him one of only two goalkeepers this season, alongside Thibaut Courtois, to register a Champions League assist.

Eddie Howe's men will still need to play two more matches to secure a place in the Champions League last 16. Wednesday’s match left both Newcastle and PSG outside the top eight, with both sides needing wins to secure automatic qualification. With results elsewhere going against them, neither team could claim the vital three points at the Parc des Princes.