Alan Shearer believes Newcastle star 'will mark' PSG's Kylian Mbappe 'out of the game' in UCL fixture
Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has made a bold claim that Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) Kylian Mbappe will be "marked out of the game" by Magpies right-back Kieran Trippier in their clash tonight.
Newcastle have enjoyed some rise to top-level football, having finished 11th in the Premier League just two seasons ago. Since then, Eddie Howe has taken over as manager and the club have been purchased by the Saudi PIF, leading to major funds being pumped into their operations.
Their investment in the transfer market led to a fourth-placed finish in the league last season, meaning the Magpies qualified for the Champions League after nearly a two-decade absence. Howe's men were drawn alongside PSG, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan in what is this year's 'Group of Death'.
However, Alan Shearer believes in his former team and their ability to shut down one of the world's most lethal attackers in Kylian Mbappe. The club legend believes Kieran Trippier, who has been in scintillating form of late, has enough in his tank to lock down the Frenchman in their game tonight.
Speaking on 'The Rest is Football' podcast (via Football365), Shearer said:
"Yeah, there is something happening, an important team, player, game coming to St. James' Park, Champions League, PSG and (Kylian) Mbappe!
"(Kieran) Trippier will mark him out of the game!"
PSG are in first place in Group F with three points and have made the last 16 of the Champions League in each of the last seven editions of the competition.
However, Alan Shearer has backed his former club to stand up to the challenge and perform well against the Parisians on home soil.
Trippier reveals hilarious interaction with his son ahead of Newcastle vs PSG
Several young boys and girls are involved as mascots who walk out with the players before football matches and the clash between Newcastle and PSG is no different.
Kieran Trippier's son is set to be one of the mascots, and the defender has revealed the boy's intentions of walking out with Kylian Mbappe instead of his own dad.
He said:
"My little boy wants to walk out the tunnel with him (Kylian Mbappe) instead of me tomorrow night. He's obsessed with Mbappe - always watches clips of him on YouTube.
"I told him - if you get to walk out with him, don't look at me in the tunnel!"
The Magpies and the Parisians will face off later tonight in a clash between the top two teams in Group F.