Lost possession 9 times, 1 dribble completed: 23-year-old Newcastle man had a game to forget last night

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Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak had an evening to forget against AC Milan in a tough opening to the Champions League last night.

Isak started the game through the middle for Eddie Howe and then moved to the left before being substituted late on.

And during his 89 minutes, the Sweden international had a frustrating display.

Via Sofascore, Isak lost possession nine times, only completed one of his five dribbles and failed to take a single shot.

Of course, Newcastle did struggle as a whole going forwards, but surely would have hoped for more from their £63m striker.

Isak was fresh for the game having been moved to the bench in the side’s previous Premier League win against Brentford.

And Newcastle fans will have been hoping for a lot more from a player who does have the calibre to win games on such a stage.

Kieran Trippier and Nick Pope were highlighted as two of Newcastle’s best performers on the night.

And whilst Howe’s defence has rarely been in question, Newcastle’s offensive play may well be.

Isak struggled against Milan for Newcastle

Isak is one of a number of players that have struggled for a bit of form at the start of the season.

Sandro Tonali returned to the San Siro with hopes to improve his form but he also had another difficult outing.

There’s not too much cause for concern, though, these are players who are still adjusting to these different challenges.

And Howe will be buoyed that he has several fresh options to choose from as his side head to Sheffield United this weekend.

Harvey Barnes, Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson all sat on the bench against Milan, and could rotate in for the likes of Isak for Newcastle on Sunday.

Although it was a tough night for Newcastle and a few of their stars, they did return to England with a point and still have reason for optimism.