Alan Shearer, a Newcastle great, believes Kylian Mbappe will have a quiet night for Paris Saint-Germain against the Magpies because Kieran Trippier will “mark him out the game.”
Newcastle’s ascent over the last few years has been meteoric. They finished 11th in the Premier League two seasons ago, after battling relegation in the early part of the season.
After a number of personnel changes, they finished fourth the following season, securing Champions League football. They are now ready to meet European powerhouse PSG in their most high-profile game in two decades, aside from last season’s League Cup final.
The French giants offer a real danger, especially with star forward Mbappe. This season, the superstar has already scored eight goals in seven games across all competitions, including the opening goal in PSG’s Champions League opener against Borussia Dortmund.
While he’s on fire, Newcastle veteran Shearer believes defensive hero Trippier will shut him down.
“Yeah, there’s something happening, an important team, player, and game coming to St. James’ Park, Champions League, PSG, and Mbappe!” he remarked on The Rest Is Football.
“Trippier will mark him out of the game!”
A match against a team that has reached the last 16 of the Champions League in each of the last seven seasons is a terrific litmus test for Newcastle, and one Shearer plainly believes they can pass.
The threat of Mbappe will be dangerous, especially given his current form, so the Magpies will be hoping that Trippier and his defensive teammates can keep him quiet.
They were able to hold AC Milan to a goalless tie in their first European game this season, and they also beat serial champions Manchester City 1-0 in the League Cup a few games later, so they come into the game on the back of some strong defensive performances.
It remains to be seen whether PSG’s threat is a different kettle of fish, but if not, Newcastle will be extremely confident of going to the next stage of the tournament.
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