Eddie Howe said:

"We're frustrated we didn't get anything from today - I didn't feel like we meant to lose. It was a tough game for us. First half we were off where we needed to be. Tactically they were good, they gave us a problem in central areas, we were a bit loose in possession for ourselves.

"Second half we were a lot better, and it was just a case of whether the ball would go in for us, and unfortunately it didn't. It was always going to be tight. There are top-quality teams in the group. Tonight is a blow, especially at home. A lesson in how fine the margins are going to be.

"The ball just wouldn't go in for us. It was one of those nights. Callum (Wilson) had the first chance of the second half, that was a good one and then we hit the bar twice but just couldn't force it in.

"Credit to the players, we never gave up, we kept doing the right things. We looked like a goal threat. But we have to be at our best to win and if you dip below that, it is tough to get results at this level.

"Any mistake you make is liable to get punished. We made one and seconds later we conceded so there is stuff we could have done better and when we analyse in the cold light of day, we will take a lot. You look at some of the injuries, they are quite difficult to get your head around but we have to adjust. We can't analyse too much, we have to regroup the players. 

"We're still in a very good position in the Premier League and Champions League. (The Dortmund away game) is going to be hugely important. The next two away games, the league table looks very, very tight so they are great games for us, we have to approach them like that.

"Our lads are very honest and very focused on trying to win and achieve, there are some tired bodies and we have to recover for Wolves."

On the injuries:

"It was a blow to lose (Alexander) Isak, it's another difficult thing to take from tonight because we've got a small squad as it is and lost Jacob (Murphy) too. With all the big games we've got coming up, it's probably the most disappointing thing from tonight.

"It looks like a re-occurrence of Alexander's groin problem, it won't be serious but it's bad enough to keep him out and that's a big blow for a player of his quality. Jacob's looks quite serious, a potential dislocation of his shoulder.

"(Elliot Anderson has) a back problem so I think he's going to be missing a number of weeks."

Edin Terzic said:

"We played a fantastic first half, had to fight a lot in the second and needed some luck and a good goalkeeper. We deserved the victory based on our first half. That was our best performance so far, against a team that press very high and play very intense football. We managed to do the things we had set out to do very well.

"It wasn't a perfect game plan but a perfect result. We played a perfect first half and showed fantastic fight in the second. We deserved to win with the first half, and we're really happy.

"In the second half we had to defend a lot but we did it with a lot of passion and a bit of luck. This group is going to be a very tough fight until the end. 

"We had a fantastic first half, when we deserved the win. In the second, we defended it. We invested a lot and gave everything to bring that win home.

"As a manager, I don't like an exciting group, but when we saw the draw we knew it would be a tough fight until the end - and we're halfway through now. Everything is quite open. We'll have a new opportunity to find out how far we can go in a couple of weeks.

On combating Newcastle's attacking tactic:

"That’s the crucial aspect. It’s the pattern they often use first, always opting for the low pass into the center in front of the defensive line – and we wanted to aggressively intercept that, something we haven’t consistently done well in recent times. In that moment, it was outstanding.”

On the goalscorer:

"Felix (Nmecha) is a brilliant player, we know about his potential and his talent, and we knew he could improve our game. He had a fantastic game and he finally managed to score.

"It was a different role for him because he played more advanced, more attacking and I think he had a brilliant game. He had a rocky start in Dortmund. He had some minor injuries during pre-season. But now he is in good form and good shape, and hopefully he can continue like this.”

It's now one draw, one victory and one defeat in the Champions League for Newcastle this season, as the harsh realities of that competition hit home at a sodden St.James' Park on Wednesday night.

Any notions that tonight's tie would replicate the memorable meeting with PSG earlier this month were soon dispelled as Nick Pope kept Dortmund at bay three times in a frantic opening period.

Denying Donyell Malen early on, the Magpies 'keeper then blocked another effort from the same player in the tenth minute before saving Niclas Fullkrug's follow-up shot.

Starting with all but one of the side that defeated the French - Joelinton coming in for Sandro Tonali - United were forced into a change on the quarter hour when Alexander Isak limped off with a recurrence of his recent groin problem in favour of Callum Wilson.

By then the black and whites had created their two best chances of the opening half, Anthony Gordon twice denied by Gregor Kobel in the Leazes goal.

The crucial goal arrived in the last minute of the first half, Gordon losing out to Nico Schlotterbeck in the centre circle; the defender swapping passes with Marco Reus before cutting the ball back for the unattended Felix Nmecha to expertly guide home.

Despite significant Newcastle pressure after the break though, Eddie Howe's side failed to find the net for the first time on home territory this season - the best moment coming when Kobel got a knee to Wilson's shot in the 57th minute.

The arrival of Jacob Murphy and Tonali in an effort to revive our fortunes soon backfired, Murphy going off after just five minutes with a shoulder injury. He in turn was replaced by Joe Willock, back sooner than anticipated after missing the last fourteen games due to injury. Both Elliot Anderson (injury) and Lewis Miley (illness) were both unavailable tonight.

Late pressure almost brought United level; Matt Targett's 86th minute free kick met by a Wilson header that flicked off the crossbar to deny him what would have been a first non-PL goal for us.

Into added time and with Pope twice arriving in the Dortmund box in an attempt to reach corner kicks, a shot from Gordon deflected off an opponent and arced over the goalkeeper, only to hit the same section of the Gallowgate goal frame.

At the half way stage of the group, United sit third with four points, behind Dortmund despite a superior goal difference by virtue of the head to head rule. PSG are out in front with six, AC Milan bottom with two and the Italians yet to get on the scoresheet.

All to play for then, but the twin evils of injury and suspension are now looming over Newcastle's prospects of progress in all competitions, ahead of another hectic set of league and cup fixtures.

Tonight was also a timely reminder of the fine margins to that accompany playing at this level; Newcastle punished for a momentary lapse and unable to make any one of a reasonable quantity of chances count. 

The description attached to Dortmund and their European pedigree is "streetwise"; we by contrast are still feeling our way back to something that never went past the novelty stage previously and has most certainly never been our birthright. That has quickly been forgotten by an element of our fanbase, if they ever knew in the first place.

Despite the glorious improbability of that PSG scoreline here, getting carried away by that victory was as misguided as the negative reaction to this defeat from some quarters. Teams sometimes win and sometimes lose when they shouldn't, but tonight really wasn't an example of that.

Perhaps those malcontents who criticised every aspect of this tie could band together for a chorus of "When we get to Europe this is what we'll moan....." next time and stick around until the final whistle to do so. Enjoy the game, as someone once said, not just the scoreline and the selfies.      

Biffa