PSG’s £34m star admits they could not cope with three Newcastle stars
Lucas Hernandez admits Paris Saint-Germain lost the midfield battle on Wednesday night as Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Sean Longstaff dictated Newcastle United’s 4-1 Champions League hammering.
When your centre-half is curling one into the top corner from 25 yards, you know it’s likely to be a night to remember. And it was certainly that for Newcastle United. All those years of underachievement and broken promises dispelled during 90 glorious minutes no one on Tyneside will ever forget.
Eddie Howe’s side ran riot against one of the pre-tournament favourites. Miguel Almiron, Dan Burn, Sean Longstaff and Fabian Schar all left Gigi Donnarumma picking up the ball out of his own net, with Lucas Hernandez – PSG’s £34 million World Cup-winner – accepting that Luis Enrique’s side could not cope with the energy and intensity of Newcastle in the middle of the park.
The Magpies didn’t just win the midfield battle. They spilled PSG’s intestines all over the St James’ turf.
Newcastle hammer PSG in Champions League
“It’s a Champions League match, we knew that. There were individual errors. We didn’t put what we needed on the pitch. It’s a match to forget,” Hernandez, scorer of PSG’s consolation goal in the second half, tells RMC Sport.
“They put us in difficulty in midfield. We were outnumbered.
“It’s up to us to learn from our mistakes, to get back on the right track. We are all aware of the role we play in this team and for this club. It’s up to us to show it on the pitch and not in front cameras or microphones.”
Mbappe anonymous in Paris Saint-Germain collapse
Goncalo Ramos, as anonymous as Kylian Mbappe and Randal Kolo Muani on a night in which PSG’s mega-money forwards failed to fire, accepts that it was Newcastle’s fierce determination and their refusal to give up on even the most desperate of lost causes which laid the foundation for a famous European win.
“We tried to play our game. They’re a great team. It’s a nightmare because it’s a big defeat,” Ramos tells Canal Plus. “It’s a question of small details and Newcastle got them in their favour this evening. They were stronger in the duels, and they managed to score their chances.”
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