Luis Enrique has warned Paris Saint-Germain that they must prepare for Newcastle United’s aggressive pressing and ‘intensity’ in the Champions League rematch at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday.
With the 4-1 thrashing at St James’ Park still fresh in their minds, the PSG side will have needed the former Barcelona manager to warn them of what may go wrong if they are not at their best and most fired-up against Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United.
On Tyneside, the Magpies outran, outfought, and outscored Paris Saint-Germain. And, with Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon, Miguel Almiron, and others ready to run through brick walls once more, Enrique knows his squad cannot afford another half-hearted performance against a side tasting blood.
PSG face Newcastle United again
“They’re physically very strong. And they’re able to press high and hard, with a lot of intensity,” Enrique tells the PSG website. “We know that that will be the case again, so we’ll need to be ready.
“Our aim is always the same regardless of the match. To keep the ball in the opposition’s half in order to stop them from creating chances. In the Champions League, your opponents have more quality. But we still want to have the same aim of being at our best in both attack and defence.”
On the back of that St James’ Park thrashing, Enrique drew more criticism than most of his players, with a four-man frontline leaving PSV’s midfield vulnerable against the energy and tenacity of Guimares, Sandro Tonali, and Sean Longstaff.
Newcastle, on the other hand, travels to Paris with a lot of weight on their shoulders. Following consecutive defeats to Borussia Dortmund, PSG’s victory is their lone group-stage victory thus far, with an early departure from the competition now a distinct possibility.
Make or break for Newcastle’s hopes
“It’s difficult to give instant answers about tactical setups,” Enrique adds. “Tactical outlines make sense, but no team in the world plays in a fixed shape. Everything changes depending on the game and on where the ball is. We adapt to our needs at any given moment.
“It all changes if we press high, if we press low or if we don’t get into the final third. And it also all changes depending on our opponents. We have a basis that we’ll start the game with.”
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