Paris Saint-Germain will be heading into a hostile environment when the ball gets rolling in St. James’ Park for the UEFA Champions League match against Newcastle United.
It will be the first UEFA Champions League home match in 20 years, so the supporters will provide a rocking atmosphere in the stadium. Ahead of the game, Lucas Hernandez spoke about the squad’s mentality heading into the game.
Hernandez understands that the crowd will play a part, but it will be up to PSG to ignore the noise and execute their game plan.
“It’s true that [Wednesday] will be a special match for Newcastle,” Hernandez told reporters (h/t Paris Fans). “It will be up to us on the ground to know how to manage this moment. It’s up to us to know how to control the match.
“We know they’re going to come out with long teeth. We have to know how to manage it. We are used to these atmospheres. I played in clubs where the audience played an important role.
“When we enter the field, we forget what surrounds us. We know that we are expected everywhere. That’s also what it means to be mentally strong, to forget about expectations and to be focused on giving your all.”
We know it’s a group with four big teams. Afterward, it is up to us to continue on the right path. We started well against Dortmund. We have to win tomorrow.”
If the capital club can secure all three points against Newcastle, it will put them in the driver’s seat. Six of six points puts them on a clear path to the knockout stage, so the squad shouldn’t take this contest lightly.
Furthermore, having the opportunity to play spoiler for the Magpies should provide a motivational point for Luis Enrique and Co.
