Newcastle went up to a 3-0 lead after 50 minutes as PSG fought to manage a team being carried along in a passionate and emotional setting provided by the home fans
Newcastle, an English team, upset Kylian Mbappé and Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 on Wednesday in their first Champions League home game since 2003. The Saudi national wealth fund purchased the team two years before the triumph.
Miguel Almiron, Dan Burn, Sean Longstaff, and Fabian Schär scored goals on one of the finest evenings at St. James’ Park; these players are far different from the “galácticos” that many people anticipated Newcastle may recruit under the wealthiest owners in sports.
After 50 minutes, Newcastle sprang to a 3-0 lead as PSG struggled to control a squad that was being propelled by the fervent and emotional atmosphere created by the home crowd.
In the 56th minute, Lucas Hernandez gave PSG the lead again. Mbappé had a relatively quiet night for the French champions, who are playing their first season without Lionel Messi and Neymar. Schär’s injury-time goal made things worse.
Things aren’t going as planned for PSG and new coach Luis Enrique this season, with the team now sitting in fifth place in the French league and facing a challenging assignment to qualify from a Champions League group that also includes AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund.
But for Newcastle, it’s unthinkable. They eliminated Manchester City from the English League Cup seven days after defeating one of the tournament favorites, and two of their devoted fans, Burn and Longstaff, scored goals in that triumph.
Newcastle is in top place in Group F with four points following its 0-0 draw with Milan in the opening round of games. PSG began with a 2-0 home victory against Dortmund despite more than a decade of massive investment from its Qatari ownership. Milan and Dortmund drew 0-0 on Wednesday.
The first goal the visitors let up in the 17th minute was all their fault; Brazilian center defender Marquinhos attempted to send the ball out from the back but only managed to hand it off to Bruno Guimaraes. Alexander Isak received the ball next, but Gianluigi Donnarumma saved his shot. Almiron then made a body opening to score on the rebound.
In the 39th minute, Burn, a 6-foot-7 (2.01-meter) defender who grew up watching Newcastle from the Gallowgate end, extended the advantage by heading in a cross from Guimaraes that Donnarumma was unable to stop before it crossed the goal line. In the build-up, it was the focus of a VAR examination for both handball and offside, but the goal stood.
And when Longstaff pounced on Kieran Trippier’s ball and hammered a low shot in off Donnarumma’s elbow, Newcastle was up 3-0, and the home crowd was in awe.
Six minutes later, Hernandez, who ran from left back and flicked in a header from Warren Zare-Emery’s lofted cross over the defense, provided PSG’s lone comeback.
Schär completed an almost flawless evening for Newcastle by winning a tackle, moving forward to collect a ball, and curling a shot from the edge of the area into the corner.