2023-10-04 07:06:37
The second stage of the 2023 Champions League for PSG passes through Newcastle and the incandescent atmosphere of St James’s Park on Wednesday. A challenge for Parisians who are struggling to find their cruising speed at the start of the season.
Published on: 04/10/2023 – 07:06
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Will PSG finally find the consistency it lacks? Facing Newcastle in the boiling atmosphere of St James’s Park, the Parisians will try to find their certainties for the second day of the Champions League, a challenge for them who are struggling to find their cruising speed at the start of the season.
The 0-0 draw at Clermont on Saturday, however, confirmed a trend: this Paris is still very irregular. It also ranks fifth in Ligue 1, with a total of points in seven days among the lowest since the takeover by QSI in 2011.
However, the Parisians are never as motivated as in the Champions League. They had relied on the first day against Borussia Dortmund on September 19 (2-0 after a convincing performance) to remobilize after a strange defeat at the Parc des Princes against Nice the previous Friday (3-2 ).
Kylian Mbappé and his partners know that they must not lose too many points during this phase, for which they have inherited a tough group, also including AC Milan – which they will host on October 25.
Wednesday in Newcastle, in the far north of England, the task promises to be more difficult in theory than against Dortmund, who are having a mixed start to the season.
Les Magpies in form
After several early disappointments, the Magpies (eighth in the Premier League) have just had three victories, including an 8-0 defeat against Sheffield and the elimination of Manchester City in the League Cup (1-0).
The Black and White, who were said to be inexperienced in C1 after two decades of absence, were also able to rise to the level of Milan, bringing back a precious point from San Siro in mid-September (0-0) – even if they were dominated in the game.
Dominant, that’s what the Paris SG team will try to be, strengthened by the cohesion instilled by its coach Luis Enrique, who arrived in the summer. The lack of physical impact in the middle observed against Clermont should be resolved by the return as starters of Manuel Ugarte and Warren Zaire-Emery.
No doubt associated with the Portuguese Vitinha, the Uruguayan and the 17-year-old Frenchman will battle the three midfielders Guimaraes, Tonali and Longstaff, in great form in recent weeks.
The intensity in this area of the pitch will be essential to set the tone, in the cauldron of St James’s Park, a stadium with more than 50,000 seats nestled in the heart of the city and renowned for the fervor of its public.
Supporters should set the stage for the return of a Champions League evening in this venue for the first time since the 2002-2003 season for Newcastle, now under the Saudi flag since October 2021 after the buyout by investors majority belonging to the Saudi sovereign fund, the PIF (Public Investment Fund).
“Newcastle? It’s not very hot out there…”
Years ago, Antoine Griezmann chose Newcastle in Football Manager and “bought” Kylian Mbappé in that game.
It seems that in the end Mbappé WILL play in Newcastle… although he will do so as a visitor.pic.twitter.com/YuWW5MHll5
— La Media Inglesa (@LaMediaInglesa) October 3, 2023
“We won’t roll out the red carpet, I’m sure the atmosphere will be the best I’ve ever seen here,” warned the English club’s coach, Eddie Howe, on Sunday. “I know the fans will be behind us, we can’t wait, it will be an extreme test.”
For Mbappé also obviously. During a flight with the French team in June 2021, Antoine Griezmann told him, hilariously, that he had recruited him for his part with Newcastle in the video game Football Manager. Response from the person concerned, visibly doubtful: “It’s not hot there.”
With AFP
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