6 talking points as Newcastle destroy PSG in remarkable Champions League triumph
Newcastle destroyed a star-studded Paris Saint-Germain side as they romped to a stunning 4-1 victory to mark the return of Champions League football to St James' Park.
Miguel Almiron opened the scoring before Geordie boys Dan Burn and Sean Longstaff increased the Magpies' advantage to three with goals either side of half-time. Lucas Hernandez pulled one back to set up a nervy finish but Eddie Howe's men held on and got a stunning late fourth through Fabian Schar, securing their first Champions League win since 2003 and putting them top of Group F.
Here are six talking points from an electric St James' Park.
1. Miggy magic rips the roof off
With the Toon Army already reaching fever pitch as kick-off dawned, all Eddie Howe will've wanted to crank the volume up to 11 was an early goal - and Miguel Almiron delivered. After PSG captain Marquinhos pondered at the back, the Brazilian's speculative dink into midfield was intercepted by compatriot Bruno Guimaraes.
The Newcastle midfielder quickly prodded the ball forward to striker Alexander Isak, who fired a snap-shot straight at Gianluigi Donnarumma. PSG's No.1 did well to get down and push the ball away, but it was only as far as Almiron, who opened his body up to produce a superb left-footed finish which arrowed the ball past the outstretched Donnarumma as St James' Park erupted.
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Miguel Almiron's goal gave Newcastle the lead over Paris Saint-Germain (Michael Regan/Getty Images)2. Isak's bloody mess
When Alexander Isak arrived at St James' Park on Wednesday, the Swedish striker was desperate to emulate club legend Alan Shearer and become more of a hero in the north east. Unfortunately, he ended up looking like Shearer in a painful way.
After going into a challenge with PSG left-back Lucas Hernandez, the 24-year-old came away with a bloody head, needing a bandage. Fans loved seeing him don the Shearer look but they loved what came next even more.
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Alexander Isak needed to be bandaged up before half-time (Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)3. The two Geordies
On a fairytale night for Newcastle fans, two of them got to write the script themselves. Local lads Dan Burn and Sean Longstaff both blasted the ball into the back of the net either side of half-time in truly emphatic fashion.
Firstly, Burn headed home after a goalmouth scramble had the PSG defence in knots. A lengthy VAR check ensued after the offside flag was initially raised, but the goal was given, allowing the towering defender to revel in his glory moment. Longstaff's strike was much more clear-cut, played in on the right of the penalty area by Kieran Trippier and slamming the ball under Donnarumma in front of a rapturous Gallowgate End.
Amid the jubilation, PSG boss Luis Enrique attempted to gee his side up, needing a quick reaction if they were to salvage anything from the game.
Sean Longstaff's goal made it 3-0 to Newcastle (Stu Forster/Getty Images)4. Lucas offers a lifeline
As the noise levels in St James' Park died down, the French champions regained their composure and applied sustained pressure for the first time all night. With all the big-money signings on the pitch, it was 17-year-old academy product Warren Zaire-Emery who made an opening with a cute pass over the top of Newcastle's defence.
Hernandez got a deft touch on the ball with his head as it sailed past Nick Pope. Suddenly the nerves were back around St James'. The tension only increased when PSG began to show their signature swagger, although there was still a mountain to climb for Kylian Mbappe and co.
Lucas Hernandez gave Paris Saint-Germain hope (Jan Kruger - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)5. Mbappe's night to forget
When the draw was made back in August and Newcastle were paired with PSG, the thought in most fans' minds was that of Kylian Mbappe strutting his stuff at St James' Park. But despite his status as arguably the best player on the planet, Mbappe was fairly anonymous after being marshalled excellently by Trippier and Jamaal Lascelles throughout the contest.
Attacking team-mates Ousamne Dembele, Randal Kolo Muani and Goncalo Ramos were all more involved, with the France captain growing more and more frustrated as the game went on. The Magpies made sure to keep him quiet right up until the final whistle, bar a late flashing shot which should've won a corner, as they secured a memorable victory to put them top of Group F.
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Kylian Mbappe barely laid a finger on Eddie Howe's defence (Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)6. Sensational Schar
And to top it all off, the imperious Fabian Schar rocketed in a long-range strike to make it 4-1 with just minutes to go, once again sending the Gallowgate End into ecstasy. An absolute thrashing.
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