Paris Saint-Germain are second, a point behind leaders Borussia Dortmund in a tight Group F, with AC Milan and Newcastle also targeting the knockout rounds with just three points separating the four teams.
"The team is not yet what I want, but we are still a work in progress," the Spaniard, who took over at the French club in July, told a pre-match press conference.
"We are far from what I hope that PSG is in the future. There are things that I like, a huge desire of the players to do what the coach asks. I think we have a lot of room for improvement. We are still searching to find an exact style that I want for this team."
Newcastle stunned PSG 4-1 in the first meeting at St James' Park but are bottom of the group.