without Warren Zaire-Emery, PSG will have to win the midfield battle against Newcastle

Paris Saint-Germain hosts Newcastle on Tuesday for the 5th day of the Champions League, without Warren Zaire-Emery or Marquinhos.

Time for revenge. Paris Saint-Germain welcomes Newcastle on Tuesday, November 28, for the fifth day of the Champions League. The opportunity for the capital club to redeem itself after the rout suffered during the first leg in England (1-4). Second in Group F with six points, Paris can take an option on qualification in the event of success, against the Magpies, fourth. Luis Enrique expects to experience the same match as in the first leg, as he confided at a press conference. “They are very strong physically, they are capable of pressing hard and very high, there is a lot of intensity. And we know that this will be the case again on Tuesday, we will have to be ready.” Newcastle proved it again against Chelsea last weekend in the league, during the big victory against the Blues (4-1).

If, in the first leg, Paris had the ball (73% possession), the battle in the middle was nevertheless lost. Asphyxiated, especially in the first period, Kylian Mbappé’s teammates were taken by the intensity put in by the Newcastle players, who won more duels on the ground (46 to 41) and in the air (12 to 2). The 4-2-4 system installed by the Spanish technician took on water quickly, with restart errors (126 balls lost in total) which notably led to Newcastle opening the score.

Since this match, the former FC Barcelona coach has rebalanced his team, with the addition of a midfielder – with an offensive vocation – in place of an attacker. Luis Enrique rarely deviates from the rule, and should recompose an offensive starting lineup on Tuesday. “Tomorrow [mardi]we will play with our base of an offensive 4-3-3 because we always want possession of the ball., he announced to the media. For this meeting, However, the PSG technician will have to review his roadmap, initially compensating for the injuries of his starters.

The Spaniard will do without his nugget Warren Zaire-Emery, one of the only Parisians to survive at St James Park. The 17-year-old midfielder was injured during his match with the France team, and will miss PSG matches until the end of 2023. Captain Marquinhos is also out, which leaves little room for maneuver for Luis Enrique in the midfield.

Fabian Ruiz, the natural replacement for Warren Zaire-Emery?

Against Monaco last Friday in Ligue 1, Fabian Ruiz started the match, alongside Vitinha and Manuel Ugarte. He was invaluable in his use of the ball and this match symbolized his rise to power, making him the natural replacement for Warren Zaire-Emery. Fabian Ruiz is also the Parisian who wins the most duels this season (69%), and his technical quality in getting out of balls is an asset that Luis Enrique should not do without on Tuesday. Manuel Ugarte, for his part, has become indispensable in the eyes of the Parisian coach, and his natural dejection will not be too much in the face of the incessant pressing of the Magpies.

On the other hand, Vitinha and Kang-In Lee have shared third place in the middle in recent weeks, with neither succeeding in fully establishing themselves in this hybrid position. “Both can be starters, one on the side and the other in the center”, said Luis Enrique. Two players with similar qualities, capable of unbalancing the Newcastle midfielder, who will be deprived of Sandro Tonali following the illicit sports betting affair. If Luis Enrique seems to have learned the lesson of the first leg, the Spanish technician knows that the midfield battle will have to be won to hope to leave the Parc des Princes with the three points, decisive in the quest for qualification.