Paris Saint-Germain arrived at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night with the intention of confirming their direct qualification to the Round of 16 and maintaining their momentum following a historic domestic run.
The context, however, was far from simple: awaiting them was a Newcastle United side that, despite a gruelling fixture list, had prepared a meticulous defensive plan to disrupt the reigning European champions.
The outcome was a tense 1-1 draw that felt like a tactical arm-wrestle.
While Paris Saint-Germain dominated possession and territory, the Magpies prevailed through extraordinary structural resilience and a clear plan to exploit the hosts defensive vulnerabilities in the air.
Not even a masterclass from Vitinha, who acted as the structural node of the Parisian side, was enough to break down an Eddie Howe side that defended their box with heroic discipline.
This tactical analysis examines how Newcastle Uniteds hybrid block managed to neutralise Paris Saint-Germains positional play and how the positive chaos of the hosts failed to translate into a scoreboard advantage.
Lineups & Formations
Luis Enrique set the home side up in a typical 4-3-3 shape, which behaved as a 3-2-5 during the build-up phase.
Matvey Safonov started in goal, with a back four of Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, and Nuno Mendes.
Following Khvicha Kvaratskhelias early injury in the 20th minute, Désiré Doué entered as a relational connector.
Vitinha and João Neves controlled the engine room, while Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola provided the threat from the flanks.
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PSG Vs Newcastle United [1–1] – Champions League 2025/2026: A Tactical Arm-Wrestle In Paris – Tactical Analysis 2
Eddie Howe opted for a significant structural shift, positioning Newcastle United in a 5-2-3 out-of-possession formation that collapsed into a 5-4-1 low block.
Nick Pope returned to the goal behind a back five featuring Dan Burn, Sven Botman, and Malick Thiaw as the central trio, with Lewis Hall and Lewis Miley as wing-backs.
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