The Magpies looked to be heading for a famous 1-0 win at the Parc des Princes until match official Marciniak awarded a spot-kick against Tino Livramento after a VAR review, allowing Mbappe to level in the eighth and final minute of added time.

Sky Sports News understands VAR Tomasz Kwiatkowski, who controversially reviewed the late penalty has been replaced for the Champions League game between Real Sociedad and Salzburg on Wednesday.

• Newcastle handball VAR official stood down from Champions League

Howe, who said in a television interview that the official had been placed under "extreme" pressure by the PSG players, labelled a decision which cost his side two precious points "poor" in his post-match press conference.

Asked if he felt a sense of injustice, he said: "Yes, I do. It wasn't the right decision in my opinion.

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"There are so many things to take into account at that moment, the speed first. It was a ricochet that when it is slowed down, looks completely different to the live event.

"The ball hits his chest first, comes up and hits his hand. But his hand is not in an unnatural position, they [his hands] are down by his side, but he is in a running motion.

"I feel it is a poor decision and it's hugely frustrating for us as you know how little time there is left in the game. There is nothing we can do about it now."

Speaking to TNT Sports, Howe added: "What you don't take into account with those replays is how quick the ball goes. It hits his chest first. If it hits his hands first, well it's still not a penalty because he's so close. But you can make more of a case.

"It's not a penalty when it hits his chest first and then hits his hand which is low. I'm not allowed to sum it up. I can't say my inner thoughts obviously [I'd get in trouble].

"I thought the referee was having a good game up until this moment. He had been strong."

The pivotal moment arrived in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Ousmane Dembele attempted to deliver the ball across the Newcastle penalty area and saw it hit Livramento's side and rear up on to the underside of his arm.

Marciniak, who had earlier seen decisions not to award spot-kicks for an Anthony Gordon challenge on Achraf Hakimi and a shout for handball against teenager midfielder Lewis Miley upheld, was advised to review the incident and this time decided to award the penalty.

Gallagher: It's just not a penalty, is it?

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher on Sky Sports News:

"I think the fact the VAR has been stood down speaks volumes. It's just not a penalty, is it? If that was given in the Premier League, the media would be on it for a month.

"It was incredible. And why it was incredible is that this guy is a top referee, there's no doubt about that. If you watch the game, he was faultless for 96, 97 minutes.

"He's then been alerted to something by someone else, which he hasn't given on-field - quite rightly. I really don't know what he's seen to change his mind on the screen.

"When I was watching it, I was quite confident he'd say no, walk away and stick to his guns.

"When you're sent to the screen, and the VAR thinks you've made a clear and obvious error, that's the key issue. That must play on your mind - have I missed something?

"But you've got to be mindful going to the screen too that you're the one making the decision, you retain all options.

"He could've said no, in my opinion it struck him. He's running through his list of considerations - is it a deliberate handball? Certainly not. Has it come from a short distance at speed? Certainly yes. Is his arm in an un-natural position? Definitely not because he's in a running motion.

"But the key one is - has it come off his body? It hits his chest before his elbow, and the distance between that is almost touching both. He's got no chance of getting out of the way."

Howe: We're still alive and fighting

The Magpies, who had taken a 24th-minute lead through Alexander Isak, defended it for grim life until the last-gasp controversy, although they needed Pope to be at his brilliant best on several occasions.

They now need to beat AC Milan at home on December 13 and hope PSG do not win away to Borussia Dortmund to progress.

Asked if that was something to cling on to, Howe, who celebrates his 46th birthday on Wednesday, said: "Yes, I think that's absolutely right. In the next couple of days, that will become more relevant in our thoughts, I think.

"When the draw came out, it was the 'group of death' and I don't think many people gave us a chance of qualifying from it and sitting here now, I'm a little bit frustrated that it's not in our hands because when I look back at the two Dortmund games, I felt we could have done better in those matches.

"I don't think it's the time for that, I think it's probably a time to be positive and to say that if we can beat Milan, then good things can happen from it."

Analysis: Shocking call denies Newcastle

Sky Sports' Adam Bate:

Paris Saint-Germain scored with their 30th shot of the game and a number of those were clear opportunities so Newcastle could well have been punished earlier than they were. But it was the manner of the equaliser, a gift from the officials, that will so grate.

Mbappe did not breach the Newcastle back line with a bit of brilliance. He was handed the ball and able to convert from the penalty spot not because of a Newcastle error either. Just a desperately cruel penalty call that required a VAR review to make it happen.

The decision to award a spot-kick for the ball striking Livramento's arm after bouncing there via his chest would have been inexplicable regardless - there was nothing unnatural about his body shape. It is called running. But it was even stranger given earlier events.

There had already been a VAR check when the ball hit the arm of Miley having bounced off another body part. On that occasion, the referee was not asked to view the monitor. It was no penalty either but the reaction time for Livramento was even less.

"It is a disgusting decision," said Tim Sherwood, watching the game for Sky Sports. "It is ridiculous. It is impossible." Howe appeared bereft afterwards. So close and denied not by the genius of Mbappe but by a genuinely bizarre bit of decision-making.

What is the handball law?

IFAB's laws state…

For the purposes of determining handball offences, the upper boundary of the arm is in line with the bottom of the armpit. Not every touch of a player's hand/arm with the ball is an offence.

It is an offence if a player:

• deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball
• touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger. A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player's body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised
• scores in the opponents' goal: Directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper or immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental

How UEFA handball guidelines differ to the Premier League

Every league, competition and governing body has its own guidelines on how to interpret the laws of the game and ahead of the 2023/24 season, UEFA moved to try and limit the giving of handball offences in regards to deflections, as well as the punishment for yellow and red cards shown for handball.

UEFA's guidelines say "no handball offence should be called on a player if the ball is previously deflected from his own body, and, in particular, when the ball does not go towards the goal." However, this was only a recommendation from the UEFA Football Board, which includes coaches and former players like England boss Gareth Southgate, former England defender Rio Ferdinand and ex-Wales star Gareth Bale, and was never formally ratified.

The guidelines also say "not every handball should automatically lead to a caution after every shot at goal, as anticipated by the current guidelines."

Finally, UEFA also said they will petition IFAB to change the rule of an automatic red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity by handling the ball, specifically to take intent into account with this decision. Therefore, according to UEFA, the laws would be changed to show a red card only in the situation of an intentional handball to deny a goal, whereas a yellow card would be shown in situations where intent was not clear.

Meanwhile, the Premier League guidelines state a player will be penalised for handball if:

• The hand/arm is clearly away from the body and outside the "body line".
• The player clearly leans into the path of the ball.
• The ball travels some distance.
• The ball touches a hand/arm that is clearly raised above the shoulder.
• The player falls and the hand/arm is extended laterally or vertically away from the body.
• A deflection clearly makes no difference to the ball touching a hand/arm that is clearly extended away from the body and/or above the shoulder.
• Immediately after touching the ball with the arm, even accidentally, the player scores a goal or creates a goal-scoring opportunity.

Mbappe: We missed too many chances

Paris Saint-Germain goalscorer Kylian Mbappe on TNT Sports:

"It's hard when you see the game. What happened was we had so many chances to win. In football you can be so much better but don't win.

"I try to be at my best level every night. I think I could have done more for my team. I had many chances and didn't score more goals.

"Too many chances. You watch many games and in the Champions League you have to score when you have the opportunity."

For PSG boss Luis Enrique, there was a mixture of relief and frustration on a night when his side created a host of chances but were unable to take any of them until Mbappe's late intervention.

Enrique said: "Without a doubt, we played a very great game. We deserved to win. We played better than Newcastle. The result does not reflect what happened on the pitch.

"It's not basketball. We are one of the teams in Europe that scores the most. Sometimes the ball doesn't want to go in.

"Sometimes the game looked like table tennis. I couldn't believe we couldn't score, but we carried on despite the frustration."

Newcastle's night in stats

• In all European competition, Newcastle have only won one of eight away games against French sides (D3 L4), with that win a 4-0 victory in Sochaux in November 2004 in the UEFA Cup.
• Paris Saint-Germain have lost just one of their last 36 home group stage games in the UEFA Champions League (W28 D7) and remain unbeaten in 11 such games since a 1-2 loss to Man Utd in October 2020 (W9 D2).
• Alexander Isak became the first player to score an away UEFA Champions League goal for Newcastle since Alan Shearer vs Inter in March 2003. Newcastle had failed to score in either of their two away games in the competition this season before visiting PSG.
• Isak became the fourth Swedish player to score for an English side in the UEFA Champions League after Freddie Ljungberg for Arsenal and Henrik Larsson plus Anthony Elanga for Manchester United.
• At 17 years & 211 days, Lewis Miley became the youngest player in Newcastle's history to start a major European game. He was also the third youngest Englishman overall to start a UEFA Champions League match after Jude Bellingham in October 2020 (17y & 113d) and Phil Foden in December 2017 (17y & 192d).

What's next?

Newcastle are back in Premier League action at home to Manchester United on Saturday; kick off 8pm. Paris Saint-Germain visit Le Havre in Ligue 1 on Sunday; kick-off 12pm.

Newcastle complete their Champions League group stage campaign at home to AC Milan on December 13; kick off 8pm. PSG visit Borussia Dortmund at the same time.