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The final round of games in Group F of the UEFA Champions League was billed as the conclusion of the so-called group of death and it lived up to its billing over 90 pulsating minutes. Before kick-off, Borussia Dortmund were sure to advance but not certain of top spot while Paris Saint-Germain needed a win to avoid relying on a draw and Newcastle United took on Milan in what seemed like a battle for third spot and a UEFA Europa League place which turned into second spot at one point.

All four teams somehow tasted jubilation while three had moments of massive dejection with the Magpies unfortunately the team left bringing up the rear as the final whistles went at Signal Iduna Park and St. James' Park. The final ranking reads Dortmund ahead of PSG with Milan behind the French champions based on their head-to-head record and Newcastle bottom but it does not do the sheer mayhem of the final 90 minutes justice.

For 33 minutes across the two games, there was relative calm in that no goals were scored but anybody watching in Germany was treated to a feast of no-holds-barred attacking soccer from both sides. PSG hit the post, forced saves out of Gregor Kobel and were denied by a heroic Niklas Sule block from Kylian Mbappe while Dortmund tested Gianluigi Donnarumma multiple times and once to spectacular effect.

Just after the half hour was when the high point arrived for Newcastle, though, as Joelinton slammed home a pile-driving effort to give Eddie Howe's men the lead in front of an ecstatic St James' Park crowd. At that moment, the Magpies were not just in third spot, they were ahead of PSG in second due to their superior head-to-head record and looked to be round-of-16 bound going into halftime across both games.

That knockout round berth looked even more likely just six minutes into the second half when Karim Adeyemi gave Dortmund the lead after some woeful PSG defending which dropped Luis Enrique's men well and truly behind Newcastle in the race for second spot. Five minutes was all it took for man of the match Warren Zaire-Emery to pull the Ligue 1 giants level with a superb finish from the edge of the box but that goal alone was not enough to get PSG back into second on its own.

The true moment where Group F was flipped on its head arrived just three minutes later when Milan pulled level against Newcastle through USMNT star Christian Pulisic to not only give the Italians hope of the Europa League but also to reinstate PSG as the second team heading through to the UCL round of 16. Massive drama followed with Mbappe having a goal ruled out via VAR for the most marginal of offsides and an incredible Mike Maignan save to keep Newcastle at bay.

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All of that built up to a scarcely believable turnaround after 84 minutes when Milan substitute Samuel Chukwueze was teed up by fellow replacement Noah Okafor just 60 seconds after both arrived on the Tyneside turf. Stefano Pioli's men were not only in third but were potentially a Dortmund goal away from the latter stages of the Champions League with big stoppages played out at both games. It might not have been vintage at times this group stage, but Milan's strong continental DNA was shining through at last. 

The scoring was over there and that spelled the end for brave Newcastle whose late, late penalty equalizer conceded to Mbappe in Paris in the penultimate game turned out to be extremely costly in a result which jeopardizes Premier League hopes of a fifth UCL spot given Manchester United's Tuesday exit. PSG just about made it over the line thanks to their home victory over Milan with Dortmund unexpected group leaders in a season which has already seen surprise group winners in Real Sociedad advancing.

It was a classic Champions League night, though, where everything possible pretty much happened for at least very short periods of time and four of Europe's best sides provided us with the sort of white knuckle entertainment that makes the UCL soccer's leading club competition and unrivaled when it comes to drama. Dortmund will hope for a lenient round of 16 draw, PSG know that they must up their game while Milan are now one of the Europa League favorites.

It feels fitting too that the last Champions League group stage as we have known it played out this way with minutes of pure unbridled emotional carnage which sadly is unlikely to be replicated by the new "Swiss" format which is coming into play from next season. So, if Tuesday was a relatively damp squib, Wednesday more than made up for it as we bid farewell to the UCL groups as we knew them in a more than fitting send-off.