Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) manager Luis Enrique has hailed Newcastle United’s physicality and athleticism, urging his players to be prepared to deal with their high-octane pressing.
PSG will welcome Newcastle United to the Parc des Princes for their UEFA Champions League appointment on Tuesday night (November 28). Only a couple of points separate the second-placed PSG and fourth-placed Newcastle, meaning a win for the Magpies could prove to be catastrophic for the Parisians on Matchday 5.
Enrique Wants PSG Players To Brace Themselves For Newcastle Charge
Speaking to PSG’s official media outlet on Monday, Enrique said Newcastle United were a physically formidable team and revealed his team would do their best not to give in to the pressure on Tuesday.
The former Barcelona manager stated (via HITC):
“They’re physically very strong. And they’re able to press high and hard, with a lot of intensity. 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 defense.”
Enrique also noted that since no modern team maintained a rigid shape, it was important to be able to adapt on the fly.
The Spanish tactician added:
“It’s difficult to give instant answers about tactical setups. 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.”
What Happened In The Reverse Fixture Between PSG & Newcastle?
PSG and Newcastle United met for the first time in their history in Gameweek 2 on October 4. Playing in front of a packed St. James’ Park, the Magpies fired on all cylinders, outpacing and outsmarting the visitors with ease. They secured a massive 4-1 victory over the French champions, which incidentally has been their only win in the Champions League so far.
It will be interesting to see if they can produce another stellar performance or PSG get their sweet revenge in the French capital this Tuesday.
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