PSG left Paris on Tuesday morning in light rain to arrive in Newcastle in the north of England under more generous sunshine around midday. The delegation then returned to its hotel, Melia, on the banks of the Tyne for lunch before returning to Saint James Park for training at the end of the afternoon.
The 19 players, including three goalkeepers, selected for this second Champions League match discovered the impressive lair of the Magpies where on Wednesday evening there will be nearly 50,000 English supporters who will push their team for its return to the Champions League after 21 years of absence. The hour-long training took place under the eyes of President Nasser al-Khelaïfi.
No setup from Luis Enrique
As since the start of the season, Luis Enrique kept the suspense on the composition of his team and did not carry out a tactical implementation. The Parisians were content with exercises in possession and work in front of goal on the eve of the match after starting with a bull in the central circle and a joyful atmosphere.
During his press conference, Luis Enrique was complimentary about the former 4th in the Premier League last season and fears this clash. “ This is a team that works well when they have the ball, and presses well when they don’t. Newcastle are the 4th hat team that no one wanted to face, said the Spanish coach. It is of a very high level and the atmosphere here is very strong. The Champions League is unpredictable. The atmosphere will be hostile and superb, and I can’t wait to start the meeting. And I even envy my players for playing this match “.
The lucky ones should be the usual starters aligned in a 4-3-3, with the typical defense (Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar and Hernandez). In the middle, Zaire-Emery and Ugarte, away from Clermont (0-0) on Saturday, will be back, normally alongside Vitinha. In front, with the Dembélé-Mbappé duo, the last place will be played out between Kolo Muani and Ramos.