‘Sink or swim’ - Newcastle United star hypes up Dortmund clash with renewed Champions League goal

Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson has upped the ante for tonight's big St James' Park clash with German giants Borussia Dortmund by outlining the side's true Champions League goal.

This season the Magpies make a first return to the competition since the 2002/03 season and the club were drawn in a 'group of death' against AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and tonight's opponents Borussia Dortmund. With such a tricky draw, many wrote Newcastle United off from reaching the knockout stages before a ball had been kicked.

When reacting to the draw, Wilson and his teammates were happy to toe that line and take the pressure off the side, maintaining that the club was looking forward to the 'experience' of Europe.

Speaking on this week's BBC Sounds' Footballers' Football Podcast, Wilson admitted that his team's aims were now more ambitious and that a place in the knockout stages had always been the goal, despite the tough opponents in Group F.

Speaking ahead of tonight's clash with Dortmund, Wilson said: "I'm looking forward to it. Excitement, it's an opportunity at home, where we've been so strong. We're playing against a top team but I feel that if we get the three points it pushes us closer to achieving our goals and trying to get out of a group everybody said was a group of death. In those situations you sink or swim, we're swimming at the moment."

Podcast co-host and West Ham United star Michail Antonio was quick to pick up on the admission of Newcastle United's goals and quizzed Wilson as to what happened about simply wanting to 'participate'. Laughing, the Magpies striker replied: "I took the pressure off my guys when asked. I let the pressure go on everybody else and we just free flow. It's artistry!"

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has called on his squad and the fans to replicate the St James' Park atmosphere that buoyed his side into a historic win over Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Howe said: "It's a tough game ahead. The beauty of the PSG game was the whole environment created by the supporters, but we need to forget that result.

"Take the confidence from it, but try to create that atmosphere all over again and for us try to re-create those intensity levels and quality of our play to try to win the game. It's another real top test. This group was always going to be that way and it's great to be involved in."