Paris secure a draw at the death

The stage had long been set. Approaching winter, a packed, fiery and electrifying Parc des Princes needed to brave the icy cold and the adverse winds of a strong opponent. Heading onto the pitch, our Parisians immersed themselves once more in the atmosphere of a great European footballing evening for their third home game in this UEFA Champions League group stage. After Dortmund and Milan, Newcastle were next to travel to the French capital. A match that Luis Enrique approached with a very attacking starting eleven. The trio of Dembélé-Kolo Muani-Mbappé was supported by a lively and creative midfield, featuring Lee Kang-in, Fabian Ruiz and Manuel Ugarte, while Danilo took his place in central defence alongside Milan Skriniar.

In this highly competitive group where all teams were separated by just three points at kick-off, every match has taken on the intensity of a knockout match. Fuelled by a well-oiled collective performance, the Magpies posed a significant threat, as witnessed in the unfortunate outcome of the first match between the sides. The start of the match quickly set the tone: high-speed connections, pinpoint passes, and sparks flew with every contact.

Despite an exhilarating start to the match, our Parisians lacked luck, getting caught off guard when Isak reacted quickest after Donnarumma's initial save to open the scoring for the Magpies (0-1, 25'). It was an added challenge that didn't alter the approach of Les Rouge et Bleu. Ousmane Dembélé's runs down the right side or Lee Kang-in's surges forward symbolised the Paris rebellion. A touch of luck was all that was lacking for them to get the equaliser before half-time, exemplified by Ousmane Dembélé's textbook move that was thwarted at the last moment (45')...

The pressure was sustained as the sides returned from the dressing room. Up against an ultra-compact block, patience was going to be required to create openings. Particularly lively, Ousmane Dembélé came close yet again to slotting the ball into the net (55'). Just after coming on, young Bradley Barcola caused havoc in the English defence, while Kylian Mbappé continued to create opportunities that served only to electrify even further the exemplary atmosphere in the Parc des Princes. Things went so close on so many occasions in the last 10 minutes, as the home side looked to get back on level terms...

But finally, relief came in stoppage time! Our heroic Rouge et Bleu threw everything at the Newcastle goal and eventually earned a crucial penalty. And Kylian Mbappé made no mistake from the spot, scoring this incredibly precious goal for the rest of the competition (1-1, 90+4')

In a highly contested match, Paris Saint-Germain snatched a very important point at the death. Luis Enrique's men will therefore head to Dortmund with their fate in their own hands. The date is set!