Blood, sweat and tears of joy at half-time after United got in the faces of their much-vaunted opponents from the first whistle and never flagged on the way to a totally justified 2-0 lead.
PSG are Champions League veterans but they can rarely, if ever, have faced opponents so determined to press, press and press again.
Donnnarumma, who looked almost unbeatable against England in the 2021 Euro Championship final, did well to parry Isak’s low shot to his right in the 17th minute, but succeeded only in pushing the ball back across goal. The PSG defenders and keeper had clearly failed to do their homework because, when they shaped to block what looked certain to be a right-foot follow-up, Miggy Stardust did what he nearly always does and slammed the ball home with his trusty left. Get in!!!!
Am I in dreamland? Waving my 2003 half-and-half Inter v NUFC scarf, I thought of that match more than 20 years ago and yelled in delight.
We needed a second while on top and nearly scored it from a cleverly worked Trippier corner when Schar hit a first-time belter only inches wide of Donnarumma’s left post.
We were not to be denied and scored again on 39 minutes after sustained pressure.
Bruno G tried a low right-foot shot from an acute angle that again Donnarumma could only parry. When the ball was returned to our influential Brazilian, he cut out the keeper with an exquisite lofted cross to the far post with his left foot and Burn was the only winner as he burst between two defenders to power home a towering header. I’ve rarely seen a better example of why the best footballers are two-footed.
Luis Enrique was clearly flustered on the touchline. His team had amassed precisely no shots on target, we already had five and looked the more likely to score again.
Five minutes after the interval we did, when Trippier played in Longstaff on the right edge of the box and he smashed a low right-footer to the keeper’s right from 15 yards. Donnnarumma reached it but the shot was too powerful and squirmed into the net.
Three-nil and 50,000 Mags (inside SJP) screamed in delight.
PSG , who in recent years have splashed the Qatari cash to buy the biggest stars, had to respond and they did, scoring with their first effort on target six minutes later, but we dug deep and did our best to stifle them with more tireless running and determined tackles.
The game ebbed and flowed, with a fifth goal looking crucial. Dembele tested Pope with a half-volley thunderbolt as the visitors sought a second, an unmarked Mbappe was inches from reaching a low cross from the right and the tension was palpable. For the first time we felt under siege, happy to hoof the ball into touch occasionally to relieve the pressure.
Anderson and Murphy replaced Tonali and Almiron, PSG also brought on two subs, but we held out with renewed determination.
United still carried a threat on the break and when Schar won the ball superbly in the PSG half as the game entered stoppage time, he played a perfect one-two with Murphy and this time whipped a first-time screamer to the left of Donarumma’s despairing full-length dive.
Job done! As Keats wrote at the start of Endymion: “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”
Now, bring on the Germans!
Borussia Dortmund might be more familiar with gegenpressing than their French rivals but they will not fancy their trip to fortress St James’.
Stats from BBC Sport:
Newcastle 4 PSG 1 – Wednesday 4 October 8pm
Goals:
Newcastle United:
Almiron 17, Burn 39, Longstaff 50, Schar 90+1
PSG:
Hernandez 56
(Half-time stats in brackets)
Possession was PSG 73% (69%) Newcastle 27% (31%)
Total shots were PSG 11 (4) Newcastle 12 (8)
Shots on target were PSG 2 (0) Newcastle 8 (4)
Corners were PSG 8 (4) Newcastle 1 (1)
Newcastle United:
Pope, Trippier, Lascelles, Schar, Burn, Longstaff, Bruno, Tonali (Anderson 65), Almiron (Murphy 71), Isak, Gordon (Targett 90+3)
UNUSED SUBS:
Dubravka, Karius, Dummett, Hall, Livramento, L.Miley
(Newcastle 4 PSG 1 – Instant NUFC fan / writer reaction – Read HERE)
(Newcastle 4 PSG 1 – Champions League, we’re having a laugh! Read HERE)
(Newcastle 4 PSG 1 – Very interesting independent ratings on the NUFC players – Read HERE)
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