PSG and Newcastle United face playoffs after Champions League draw

VIDEO SHOWS: PRESS CONFERENCE COMMENTS FROM PSG HEAD COACH, LUIS ENRIQUE, AND NEWCASTLE UNITED HEAD COACH, EDDIE HOWE, AFTER 1-1 DRAW IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE / STILL PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE MATCH RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SHOTLIST SHOWS: PARIS, FRANCE (JANUARY 28, 2026) (UEFA – This content can only be used in the reporting of the UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 season – no other use allowed. No commercial use. Must on-screen courtesy " UEFA 2026". No resales. No sublicensing. No monetisation.) 1. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PSG HEAD COACH, LUIS ENRIQUE, SAYING: "I think we dominated them, we made them suffer. They play differently in their league, we play in a very different style, a creative style, occupying spaces, keeping possession, pressing. I certainly have no complaints about my team. It's clear that some players have found it harder to perform at their best, but that's understandable. The attitude is there, the desire is there. We’ve been here before so if we have to take a detour to the round of 16, so be it. We’ll see if we get a French team or Qarabag in the play-offs. Whoever we face, we’ll have to perform at our best. And, I repeat, I don't see any other team who are bigger favourites than we are. No one." 2. WHITE FLASH 3. (SOUNDBITE) (French) PSG HEAD COACH, LUIS ENRIQUE, SAYING: "If there's one team ready for the play-offs, and whatever happens in the knockout rounds, it's us. That’s as clear as day. When you take a look and analyse all the matches we've played against the teams we've played, it's disastrous to see the level of those teams. But okay, we need to improve, I'm the first to admit that." 4. WHITE FLASH 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEWCASTLE UNITED HEAD COACH, EDDIE HOWE, SAYING: "Yeah, we keep pushing on. I think we wanted to win tonight. We didn’t want the extra games. But we’ll take it, we’ll go down that route. And I think we’re going down that route in the best possible way with a strong performance against the holders of the competition. So if there’s ever a game that we need to look to to give us confidence it’s this one, in my opinion. Coming from a goal down, recovering from a difficult start, changing things tactically and still doing well; I think there’s a lot to be positive about tonight." PARIS, FRANCE (JANUARY 28, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 6. STILL OF ENRIQUE DURING THE MATCH 7. STILL OF PSG'S OUSMANE DEMBELE REACTING TO HIS PENALTY BEING SAVED 8. STILL OF NEWCASTLE'S JOE WILLOCK CELEBRATING HIS EQUALISER 9. STILL OF NEWCASTLE'S DAN BURN THANKING AWAY SUPPORT AT FULL-TIME STORY: Holders Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United were forced into the Champions League playoff round after a 1-1 draw at the Parc des Princes in Wednesday's (January 28) final round of the league phase left both outside of direct qualification for the last 16. PSG went ahead early through Vitinha’s low finish, only for Newcastle to level just before halftime when Joe Willock headed in, putting both teams on 14 points and outside the top eight. The hosts had an early opportunity to seize control when Lewis Miley was penalised for handball, only for Ousmane Dembele to see his penalty saved by Nick Pope, as PSG controlled large spells of the opening period. Luis Enrique turned to his bench after the break in search of a winner yet while PSG enjoyed the bulk of possession, Newcastle stayed compact and carried a threat on the break, with Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes testing Matvey Safonov. Newcastle weathered the storm and found their moment just before the interval, Willock rising to nod in from Dan Burn’s flick to level on the stroke of halftime. Looking to shake things up at the front, Luis Enrique replaced Bradley Barcola with Goncalo Ramos, who scored six of his last 10 goals after the 90th minute but while PSG dominated possession, the visitors continued to threaten with Gordon’s dipping shot being palmed away by Safonov.  Eddie Howe’s side were also compact in defence and dangerous on the break through Gordon and fellow substitute Harvey Barnes, who was denied from close range by Safonov in the 86th minute and just missed the target two minutes later. Speaking at the press conference later, both Enrique and Howe expressed confidence in taking the hard route after missing direct qualification. (Production: Conal Quinn, Benoit Tessier, Sarah Meyssonnier)

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