Champions League action returned to St James’ Park with a bang. It was always going to be a great occasion before the match, but there would have been a few nagging doubts about whether the team could step up to the occasion.
However, they were quickly put to one side as the Magpies exploded into the match with an energy and intensity that we previously haven’t seen before. Even for an Eddie Howe side, this was electric. Once the first goal went in, the result felt like a formality, as PSG couldn’t get a foothold.
Below we pick out three interesting stats in the game.
73% possession to PSG / Newcastle 12-11 PSG (shots)
These two have been grouped together as they perfectly show how the game went. PSG dominated the ball, as you would expect, due to their experience and class. However, it never felt like they were going to penetrate the back four. There were a couple of hairy moments, but good teams will always create those. The Parisians didn’t cut through our back four until we were 3-0 up in the game.
Eddie Howe set up to be aggressive without the ball and the high press was there for Europe to witness. The first goal came as a result of pressing high up the pitch and having our number six in a position to win the ball back.
The shot stats show that despite the possession, PSG failed to create a high volume of chances, while we created more. It was a performance that showed that a good press is the best playmaker you can have. Jurgen Klopp has spoken about that in the past and it will be our biggest weapon in the Champions League. PSG just didn’t look capable of dealing with it.
Sean Longstaff – 85.7% pass accuracy
It has been an excellent month for Sean Longstaff as he has once again consolidated his position in the first team. Following the signing of Sandro Tonali, there were doubts about his long-term prospects to start matches. Now, he is one of the first names on the team-sheet. His energy is relentless, while he has an almost telepathic relationship with Bruno Guimaraes.
Passing was one area where there was room for improvement, as the team completed only 68% of their passes. Longstaff was one of the best at looking after the ball, with a passing accuracy of 85.7%. He regularly made himself open in central areas and looked much more assured under pressure than some of his team-mates.
There was an aggression in his passing too, as he completed three progressive passes. Two of these were into the final third. Longstaff has been rightly praised for his energy out of possession, but he is improving with the ball, as last night showed. He didn’t look out of place in an elite environment.
Successful aerial duels – Newcastle 12-2 PSG
This is an eye catching stat and one that underlines the aggression of the two teams. PSG were neat and tidy with the ball, but they didn’t look up for the fight at St James’ Park. The atmosphere was intimidating and they shrunk on Tyneside.
That is highlighted by the two teams’ success in the air. Newcastle won 12 of the 14 aerial duels in the match. Dan Burn was the star in this regard, as he won all four of his aerial contests. Interestingly, they were all classified as offensive aerial duels, showing that Howe wanted to take advantage of the left-back’s aerial dominance in our build-up. The goal scored by Burn showed how he could bully the PSG players.
PSG left Tyneside having been in a fight. They weren’t able to lay a glove on us in the air and every set piece looked threatening.
Stats taken from fbref (powered by Stats Perform)
