October 4, (THEWILL) – Newcastle welcome French giants Paris Saint-Germain to St James’ Park on Wednesday night, in a highly-anticipated UEFA Champions League Group F clash. Both sides enter the match in good form, though injuries threaten to take some star players out of the equation.
Kylian Mbappe is expected to lead the line for PSG after recovering from an ankle problem. “I’m feeling good and ready to play,” said Mbappe. “Newcastle have started the season well so it will be a tough game, but we are focused on getting the win.” However, PSG are still without Marco Asensio, Presnel Kimpembe and Nuno Mendes through injury.
Newcastle will look to Alexander Isak for goals after the Swede’s impressive start this season. “Scoring against [Man]City gave me confidence and I want to keep helping the team,” said Isak. “PSG will be difficult opponents, but we believe in our abilities at home.” The Magpies received a boost with Joelinton’s return from injury against Burnley, though his early substitution raises doubts over his fitness.
Both sides picked up points in their opening UCL matches. PSG beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 thanks to Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi goals, while Newcastle earned a deserved 0-0 draw away to AC Milan. That leaves them both well placed in a tight Group F, where a victory would serve as an early indicator of potential qualification for the knockout stages.
Newcastle know victory over prestigious opponents would send out a strong message. “The fans created a great atmosphere against City and I’m sure it will be the same again,” said Isak. “With their support driving us on, I believe we can perform at our best against PSG.”
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
