Ladies and gentlemen, Newcastle United have officially arrived in Europe.
In the 17th minute of Wednesday night's Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain, winger Miguel Almiron opened the scoring with a wonderful side-footed finish.
Marquinhos' slack pass in his own half was headed down by Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak, who has been so decisive this season, punted a shot goalwards.
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PSG shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma, to his credit, managed to paw away but the ball landed at the feet of Almiron, who slotted into the bottom left corner.
It was Newcastle’s first Champions League goal since Alan Shearer netted against inter Milan in the San Siro in 2003, and my word, what a moment it was.
Shearer, who was in the stands to watch his beloved Newcastle take the lead on Wednesday night, must have been slightly awestruck by the occasion.
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Half an hour before kick-off, St James' Park was crackling as Wor Flags displayed a quite magnificent display ahead of their second group game.
And then, for the first time in two decades, the Champions League anthem rang around Newcastle's 52,000-seater stadium.
In the days leading up to Wednesday's game, Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles insisted Newcastle are treating the game like any other.
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When asked about the possibility of swapping shirts with Kylian Mbappe, Lascelles said: "It's not something we have really spoken about. We are just focusing on how the manager sets us up as players.
When pressed on swapping shirts if approached by Mbappe, Lascelles, replied: "If he [Mbappe] asks me? Yeah, when we get to the tunnel but on the pitch it's just business.
“Kylian Mbappe is probably the best player in the world. We just need to be professional and that's what we are. It's just about getting the job done."
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Featured Image Credit: TNT Sports/TwitterTopics: Newcastle United, Paris Saint-Germain, Champions League
