French Champions Paris Saint-Germain will travel to Newcastle in the Champions League. On the opening day of play, Les Parisiens defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0, while Eddie Howe’s team struggled to a goalless draw away at AC Milan.
Preview (Newcastle vs. Paris Saint-Germain)
The Rossoneri huffed and puffed but were left to regret profligacy on matchday one. Newcastle reverted to the tenacious defensive strategies. They played a significant role in breaking their 20-year exile from Europe’s elite tournament. Newcastle were unfazed by the San Siro crowd during their match with the Rossoneri. Since returning home from Milan with a well-earned point that places them second in Group F rankings, stand-in goalkeeper Marco Sportiello has had to be on his toes to keep Howe’s team from stealing all three points at the very last minute. Newcastle have also shown they are unbreakable at the back.
Howe’s in-form team ended September in magnificent fashion with nine goals over 180 minutes of football. Eight of those in a record-breaking obliteration of Sheffield United, and one to knock Manchester City out. They came into Wednesday’s game in top form on the back of a three-game winning streak. Howe’s team easily defeated Burnley 2-0 at the weekend thanks to goals from Miguel Almiron and Alexander Isak. It extended their unbeaten streak to five games in a row in all competitions.
PSG can at least compete with Newcastle on the defensive resilience front – keeping clean sheets in three straight games. They have gone unbeaten in nine consecutive away games since their fatal 2-0 loss to Bayern Munich seven months ago. However, they are already playing catch-up in the title race as they linger in fifth place in the standings. Les Parisiens lost at the Allianz Arena, marking their unlucky 13th Champions League away game without keeping a clean sheet. Les Parisiens last defeated Istanbul Basaksehir away from home in October 2020. The Magpies’ supporters have plenty of reason to be optimistic going into their team’s first competitive matchup against the Parisian powerhouses.
Team News
As Harvey Barnes (ankle), Joe Willock (Achilles), and Sven Botman (knee) are all expected to miss Wednesday’s glamour match. The Newcastle medical staff has recently had to cope with their fair share of bumps and bruises. Prior to PSG’s visit, Callum Wilson’s hamstring issue will also need to be evaluated. Joelinton had to leave the field against Burnley after 68 minutes owing to a thigh strain. Howe is convinced that the Brazilian’s ailment is not significant. Joelinton’s chances of a quick recovery will be hindered by the short turnaround time. Anthony Gordon is free to fill in for Joelinton despite being suspended for Newcastle’s forthcoming Premier League match.
The PSG sensation Mbappe played the entire 90 minutes against Clermont after overcoming an ankle scare, but young left-back Nuno Mendes will not be able to return to the field until 2024 as a result of hamstring surgery. Alongside Mendes in the medical area are Marco Asensio (foot) and Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles), while Sergio Rico, a goalie, is still recovering from a head injury and Keylor Navas, another shot-stopper, is questionable with a lower back issue.
The previous few weeks have seen both Newcastle and PSG exhibit impressive defensive tenacity, but the Magpies in particular shouldn’t fear a foe after defeating Man City – albeit a depleted Man City – in front of their own supporters just one week ago. The noisy St James’ Park environment will also contribute to scaring the French champions, but despite the visitors’ recent run of uneven play, the Magpies team’s fitness woes may make it difficult for them to keep Mbappe and company quiet.
Newcastle 1 – 2 Paris Saint-Germain
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