Paris Saint-Germain are targeting revenge when they host Newcastle United in Tuesday’s pivotal UEFA Champions League clash, with head coach Luis Enrique likening the game to a final.
Just three points separate all four teams in Group F ahead of matchday five, with Borussia Dortmund leading the way on seven points and Newcastle bottom with four after suffering back-to-back defeats against the Bundesliga giants.
Sitting second with six points, PSG will seal qualification with a game to spare if they beat the Magpies and Dortmund avoid defeat against Milan in Tuesday’s other fixture. They also have a score to settle after being humiliated on Tyneside earlier this season.
Newcastle claimed the biggest Champions League win in their history in the reverse fixture, routing PSG 4-1 at St James’ Park in early October with Miguel Almiron, Dan Burn, Sean Longstaff and Fabian Schar all on target.
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While PSG midfielder Vitinha did not want to relive that defeat during Monday’s pre-match press conference, he admits the chance for revenge provides additional motivation for the hosts.
“We talked about it a lot after the first leg, we’re not going to talk about it all the time. We were playing away at their stadium, and they were on top,” Vitinha said of the matchday two reverse.
“We are just focused on the match tomorrow. We already said after the match there that it was not a good result, it was a difficult match, it will be difficult tomorrow too.
“We always want to win. If revenge adds a little to it, then maybe! We know that it is possible to qualify tomorrow but we are only focusing on the match.”
Medical update ahead of #PSGNEW @Aspetar
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) November 27, 2023
Head coach Luis Enrique, meanwhile, is simply focused on ensuring PSG survive the ‘group of death’, calling on the club’s fans to make the Parc des Princes a cauldron of noise for Newcastle’s visit.
“There are few matches left in a very complicated group with a very tight ranking. The match could be decisive tomorrow,” the former Barcelona boss said.
“I am convinced that my team is ready to play tomorrow and be competitive. We hope to see the best version of our fans, especially when the opponent can cause us problems.
“We need a stadium with fans showing even more passion than usual. We will play the game like a final.”
????️ Luis Enrique: “In this competition, home matches are key. The fans are an important asset for us.” #PSGNEW | #PSGlive https://t.co/yC4O4fMdNy
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) November 27, 2023
