Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe praises Nick Pope for goalkeeping heroics in AC Milan draw

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has praised Nick Pope for his heroics at the San Siro as the Magpies claimed a point on their Champions League return.

The Englishman made several important stops to keep the scoreline level as AC Milan enjoyed the best of the game.

Howe's side are still adjusting to the demands of European football's showpiece competition but will return to Tyneside happy with a point given the opportunities missed by the Rossoneri.

The Newcastle boss was keen to single out his goalkeeper after the final whistle as he kept his second clean sheet in as many games.

“I thought Nick was outstanding today,” Howe said. “He was excellent against Brentford although he didn’t have a lot to do and his all-round game was at his highest level.

“It’s no coincidence, two big displays and two clean sheets from him which is absolutely crucial to us. He was a huge part of our success last year and no doubt he’ll be the same this year.”

Howe was also keen to downplay suggestions that his side had been lucky to claim a point given the relative dominance of the home side, insisting his players deserve credit for their defensive performance.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I didn’t think the draw was luck on our part," Howe explained. "We’re slightly disappointed with how we played with the ball tonight but there’s loads of different reasons for that.

"It was crucial to defend the goal, but that's not how we prepared for the match. We tried to attack and push forward, but we didn't succeed. We stayed compact defensively, and it worked well because they couldn't score."

The Newcastle boss believes his side will learn from their experience with the San Siro a particularly daunting venue to kick off their Champions League adventure.

“I thought the crowd were very good for Milan tonight,” he said. “It was a hostile atmosphere and the players had to adjust to that but we can't underestimate the draw today.

“I think it will look better and better as time goes on because it’s a new experience for a lot of people – me included – tonight and hopefully we can grow from this into the tournament.

“Again, I’ll praise the players for the defensive qualities that they showed today. We know we can do better with the ball, but hopefully that will come.”

Howe will hope to see that improvement in their next Champions League fixture against PSG in two weeks' time in what will be a special night under the lights at St James' Park.

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