Newcastle United v PSG: Champions League press conference review

Dominic Scurr reflects on the pre match press conference ahead of Newcastle United's Champions League match against PSG.

Transcript

00:00 Here at St James' Park where Eddie Howe, Kieran Trippier, Lucas Hernandez and Lewis Enrique

00:05 have been speaking to the media ahead of Newcastle United's Champions League group stage match

00:11 against Paris Saint-Germain tomorrow night. Newcastle's first Champions League match at

00:15 St James' Park in over 20 years and yeah, the stage is set for it. We see all that Champions

00:21 League advertising behind me and on the pitch, in the stands, it's all ready to go and we've

00:27 just been watching PSG do their brief sort of light training session, a little Rondo

00:32 exercise in the centre circle. Likes of Kylian Mbappe, players like that. Getting a taste

00:41 of that St James' Park pitch for the first time. And speaking to Eddie Howe, not an awful

00:50 lot from his press conference. Obviously the sense of occasion and what the fans will bring

00:55 to it played a big part. But in terms of newsy lines, Sven Botman ruled out as we knew. Callum

01:03 Wilson is a major doubt as is Joe Linton. Sandro Tonali who missed part of the training

01:09 today is fine for the game according to Eddie Howe. Interestingly, we spoke to Lewis Enrique

01:17 as well. He obviously played in the Champions League match for Barcelona back in 1997, scored

01:26 in the game as well, the 3-2 win for Newcastle. So has memories of playing at St James' Park

01:32 previously, I think he's done so twice in his career. He spoke very highly of St James'

01:39 Park, described it as spectacular and saying he's envious of his players playing and being

01:46 tested by such a hungry and no doubt hostile crowd. But he said in a sporting manner they'll

01:54 be hostile. It's going to be a good occasion and Lewis Enrique also said Newcastle could

02:02 go far in this competition, they were the pot four team that no one wanted. PSG will

02:08 get tested tomorrow night and we'll see if Newcastle are up to that challenge because

02:12 they're heading into the game in very good form, having won four and drawn one of the

02:17 last five games without conceding. So they'll be very confident but certainly this is a

02:23 fresh test for them in their first home Champions League match in over 20 years against Paris