Eddie Howe has dismissed suggestions that his Newcastle squad got lucky in their Champions League opener in Milan.

The home team had 26 shots, but Nick Pope was in superb form for the visitors, making seven saves in the first half alone.

And Howe remarked, “I didn’t think the draw was lucky on our part.” Despite Milan’s best efforts, Newcastle held firm. I was a little dissatisfied with our ball control.

But I was proud of our defense, which included several blocked shots and аggressive play in front of the basket. We were resolute in our resolve to protect the prize.It was a great defensive showing, especially considering the hоstile environment and the difficulty of the trip. Our goalie did a great job. You can’t deny the magnetic pull of that.

It was on this night, three days after maintaining a clean sheet in a Premier League victory over Brentford, that Pope’s heroics supplied the groundwork.

“I thought he was outstanding today,” Howe remarked. Even though he didn’t have much to do, he performed at a career-best level against Brentford.

His two impressive performances and clean sheets have been key to our success, so this is no fluke. Without a question, he will be just as essential to our success this year as he was last.

Howe did not buy into the notion that his team was lucky when midfielder Sean Longstaff made a game-saving save from substitute goalie Marco Sportiello deep in stoppage time.

He opined, “Everyone is allowed an opinion.” In my opinion, the draw was not a coincidence. There are a number of factors at play, but overall, we were a little dissatisfied with our ball control tonight.