The capital club took on water in the north of England on Wednesday during the second match of their Champions League campaign (4-1).
An unexpected shipwreck. Paris Saint-Germain fell from a height when they lost to Newcastle on Wednesday October 4 in the Champions League (4-1). After its masterful victory against Borussia Dortmund (2-0), the capital club completely missed out on its second match of the group stage. Faced with opponents as excited as the stands of St James’s Park, who returned to the C1 after twenty years of absence, the Parisians were crushed by the intensity.
The evening quickly came to an end, Newcastle opening the score thanks to Miguel Almiron after just 16 minutes of play. Press, make an impact and move towards the goal as quickly as possible: the Magpies’ plan was clear. Much more than that of Luis Enrique, who had decided to depopulate his environment by adding one more attacker. Unable to find recovery circuits, his players gave the impression of drinking the cup.
The heaviest defeat in C1 since the “comeback”
Their opponents pressed, without calculating their energy expenditure, and were rewarded. At the end of an embarrassing sequence for the Parisian rearguard, which saw Gianluigi Donnarumma make three stops on his line in vain, Dan Burn gave Newcastle the break before the break (39th). While half-time could have allowed PSG to breathe and come back with a new strategy, the bill got tougher at the start of the second half after a rush from Sean Longstaff on his right side (50th).
If there was indeed a start, the reduction in the score of Lucas Hernandez (56th), with a clever header, remained anecdotal. Newcastle had the last word and what a last word: central defender Fabian Schär sent a long shot into the top corner to complete his team’s perfect evening (90th + 1). Enough to inflict on PSG its heaviest defeat in the Champions League since the tragic “comeback” and the 6-1 defeat at Barcelona in March 2017. For the first time since the arrival of the Qatari owners, the capital club conceded four goals in a C1 group stage match.
If PSG remains in a good position in Group F, currently second with three points (behind Newcastle and its four units) thanks to the draw between Borussia Dormund and AC Milan (0-0), this defeat squanders a much of the credit accumulated by Luis Enrique since his arrival. Despite the promises seen against Lens, Dortmund and Marseille, and the confirmation of the start of a new era, Paris has already suffered two defeats in just nine matches this season. To which are added draws against teams well within its reach: Lorient, Toulouse and Clermont. All eyes are already on October 25 and the reception of AC Milan in three weeks, which will be crucial for its European future.