Marseille need a win at the Velodrome to keep their hopes of reaching the next phase alive.
"I don't think we need to do anything more," began De Zerbi at today's preview. "We just have to play our game, stick to the plan. It's always a special occasion, we have to play with the same passion and the same courage. Newcastle are very good, physically they're good. But we've already faced teams like that in Ligue 1.
"At the Vélodrome, it's a special place. Every match is a final, it will be a difficult match, we need points. We want to win this match like all the others."
He continued: “Newcastle is a strong, physical team. They’ve been playing together for a long time. It will be a difficult match, but I don’t think it will be decisive. Last year’s Champions League showed that. Teams that were practically finished a few matches from the end (of the league phase) qualified.
"We don’t have enough points. It will be an important match. Against Atalanta, we didn’t play our best, but we deserved more. We could have taken points from all four of our matches. Newcastle is strong, but we have strong players too, and we’re playing at home. I know we have to win four matches to qualify. One or two isn’t enough. We have to play well and be decisive in both penalty areas: score goals and defend well,.
“We expect strong players from Newcastle. They have a world-class midfield with Tonali, Guimarães, and Joelinton. But if we focus too much on others, we risk forgetting our own strengths. We know we have to be attentive, but we must also remember our own strengths, which are numerous.
"Newcastle is a physical team, but they know how to play, with fast players on the wings. If you want to be at the top of the Premier League, you need a strong team at every level. They are coached by a good manager whom I know well. They are a strong team, but football is beautiful because results don't depend solely on strong players. They also depend on motivation and courage. We have strong players too. It's true, I'm not just saying that to sound good. We have the tools to cause them problems.”