Newcastle Prediction: Who Needs to Step Up For Paris Saint-Germain?
PSG can take command of its Champions League group with a convincing win over Newcastle.
Paris Saint-Germain faces its most difficult challenge on Wednesday as they travel to St. James' Park to take on Newcastle United on matchday two of the UEFA Champions League.
Coming into the highly-anticipated matchup, Newcastle couldn’t be on more of a heater. On September 24, they put eight goals past Sheffield United and kept a clean sheet, and then followed up that performance with a 1-0 win over Manchester City in the Carabao Cup. In their final tuneup before hosting Les Parisiens, Newcastle comfortably defeated Burnley FC 2-0.
On matchday one, Newcastle traveled to a hostile San Siro to take on AC Milan, and despite being outplayed for 90 minutes, they held on for the scoreless draw. It was the kind of result from a team that believes they can advance from a challenging group.
There’s no question that PSG must be at their best to escape with a favorable result. We’ve seen flashes of brilliance early on this season, like the 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund, but away at Newcastle presents a new set of questions that Luis Enrique and his squad must answer.
In order to get a result from this fixture, PSG will need these players to be at their best on Wednesday night when the Champions League music fades into the Newcastle night sky:
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Whenever there is a big match, my first thought always goes to PSG’s starting goalkeeper. Gianluigi Donnarumma has all the tools to be world-class, and on many nights, he is, but his inability to confidently play the ball from the back with his feet and affinity for making mistakes worries me. If the Italy international can stand strong, limit the mistakes, and make several key saves, it should be a good night for the reigning French champions.
Manuel Ugarte
“When we have the ball, it’s a game…and when we don’t have it, it’s a fight.” - Manuel Ugarte
That is the mentality you want from your defensive midfielder. With Ugarte’s tenacity and ball-winning ability, the feisty newcomer has quickly become an integral member of the starting XI. I fully expect him to dominate the midfield and win plenty of duels. However, I do worry that with the intense pressure of the moment and his physical style of play, Ugarte could pick up a needless yellow card or even worse. He’ll need to keep a level head throughout for PSG to be successful.
Randal Kolo Muani / Ousmane Dembélé
I omitted Kylian Mbappé from this list because he’s the obvious choice. For PSG to do anything positive this season, their superstar must deliver. In grouping his attacking teammates, Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembélé, I’m highlighting the importance for those two to take some of the burden off Mbappé.
If Dembélé can beat his defender and create havoc in the box, it will force Newcastle’s defense to scramble, and Mbappé can take advantage. I also see this as a game where PSG can work crosses into the box for Kolo Muani, who has to be on target with his touches in front of goal. PSG’s speed should cause issues for Newcastle’s defense, and if all three attacking players can make them work side-to-side, I think PSG will find the back of the net early and often.
Vitinha
Believe it or not, but Vitinha was the Man of the Match when PSG defeated Dortmund. He contributed a brilliant assist to Achraf Hakimi and nearly scored one himself. He was fabulous in possession and was able to be that creative spark for PSG in the midfield. Can he do it again against Newcastle? Vitinha will have to go up against the talented Sandro Tonali in midfield and some absolute bruisers on defense. A lot will depend on Luis Enrique’s tactics. The manager may prefer a possession-based game instead of a more proactive approach. Whatever the decision is, Vitinha stands poised to have another breakout performance.
Prediction
The scoreless draw against Clermont Foot on Saturday didn’t give me a huge boost of confidence heading into the match against Newcastle, but as I just laid out, there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic. Mbappé is in the squad and appears to have recovered from his ankle injury against Marseille.
I think this will be a match in which PSG will play defensively and try to keep possession as much as possible, which they’re great at. Newcastle will be full of energy from their home crowd, and PSG will try to take the sting out as much as possible. It will be up to the defense to try and silence Newcastle’s leader scorer, Alexander Isak, but Miguel Almirón could also present problems.
The best scenario for PSG is Newcastle plays recklessly and leaves too much space behind for a counter. Mbappé thrives off these opportunities, and with Vitinha, Kolo Muani, and Dembélé alongside him, I think this is where PSG’s goal(s) will come from. I just don’t think Newcastle has the speed to keep up with them.
I think asking PSG to keep a clean sheet is too much. So my final prediction will be a 1-1 draw, with Newcastle scoring early and PSG answering midway through the second half with an equalizer.