'Newcastle robbed' - Fans explode as Referee award PSG late penalty in UCL draw

Paris Saint-Germain needed a 98th-minute penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw against a resilient Newcastle United in the UEFA Champions League to keep their knockout hopes alive.

Kylian Mbappe converted from the spot deep into additional time to rescue a point for the Parisians, who were on the verge of losing back-to-back games against the Magpies in the UCL group stage.

Alexander Isak had given Newcastle the lead against the run of play in the 25th minute after pouncing on a loose ball spilt by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to tap in from close range, Sportskeeda reports.

The English club held on for much of the game and were on course to earn a historic victory at the Parc des Princes until centre referee Szymon Marciniak from Poland awarded a late penalty to PSG for handball.

The ball had ricocheted off the arm of defender Tino Livramento, with the referee pointing to the penalty spot after a VAR check, a decision that has since sparked outrage on social media.

Pundits accuse PSG of cheating

Meanwhile, angry fans, journalists and former Newcastle United players took to social media immediately after the game to slam PSG and the centre referee for the late penalty decision.

Former Newcastle player Alan Shearer described the referee's decision to award a late penalty to PSG as “disgusting” as his club are now on the verge of being eliminated from the group.

Tim Sherwood, a former Tottenham manager, also reacted angrily to the penalty decision, which he claimed was ridiculous and should not have been awarded.