PSG coach Luis Enrique said his team completely dominated Newcastle and should have won instead of drawing 1-1 in the penultimate round of Group F of the Champions League.
PSG controlled 73% of the ball, launching 31 shots compared to Newcastle's five. Their pass success rate also reached 92%. During the match, they also created a series of chances, but Kylian Mbapee or substitute striker Bradley Barcola continuously missed. It was only thanks to a controversial penalty by referee Szymon Marciniak that the home team was able to equalize. In this situation, the ball hit the chest and then bounced up to hit Tino Livramento's hand, when the Newcastle defender tried to block Ousmane Dembele's cross. Mbappe then shot into the top corner, earning a point for PSG.
"I think we deserved to win. PSG played a perfect game. We were better than Newcastle and the result doesn't reflect that. But that's football," Enrique said in a post-match press conference at the Parc des Princes.
Enrique talks with PSG players after the match against Newcastle last night, November 28. Photo: AFP
This result helps PSG stay second in the group with seven points, two points ahead of Newcastle and Milan. Coach Enrique and his team have the right to decide for themselves, and will enter the round of 16 if they win in the final match against Dortmund. However, in the two confrontations in Group F, PSG could not beat Newcastle. In the first leg, they even lost 1-4. After yesterday's match, Mbappe said he was very disappointed with his team's performance.
However, Enrique disagreed. He said: "This is football, not basketball. We are one of the teams that score the most goals in Europe. But today, the ball did not want to go into the net. I was impressed with the performance of the players and the fans who never abandoned us. PSG's goal is to get through the group stage and win the championship."
Mbappe is considered the best player on PSG's side in this match, according to Whoscored . Despite missing many opportunities, the French captain played a significant role in creating play, opening up many opportunities for his teammates.
Coach Enrique commented: "I am very satisfied with what Mbappe showed and the attitude of the players in general. It is difficult when the ball does not want to go into the net. We were behind for a long time but the players were not discouraged. The important thing is that PSG has the right to decide in this group. Even if we lose this match, we can still go through if we beat Dortmund in the last round."
Duy Doan (according to L'Equipe )
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