Les Phocéens are second in Ligue 1 and are the division's top scorers with 33 goals in their 13 matches; only Bayern Munich and Barcelona have scored more in Europe’s top five leagues so far this term.
But City star Haaland - who has 14 goals this season and had only failed to score once in his previous 18 outings for club and country - was well-shackled by Thiaw and his colleagues on Sunday as a Harvey Barnes brace gave United three vital Premier League points.
And the defender, speaking to media at the Orange Vélodrome on the eve of the MD5 Champions League game, said: "I was really happy with the performance overall from the team, happy that we got these three points and that I did my job well as well.
"We just try to take the confidence we got, and also the emotional stuff we took from the game, we try to show tomorrow as well.
"In general, I'm a really confident player but of course if you play against one of the best players - maybe the best striker right now in football - it can give you a little bit of extra motivation or confidence, so of course I will take that."
United's backline will be tasked with handling Mason Greenwood, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Igor Paixão when they line up against Marseille, who are managed by former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi. "They're one of the most offensive teams right now in Europe," said Thiaw.
"I think all of these three players, they have big quality. They work well together, I think it's a good mix of experience with Aubameyang and the young lads. I played against Paixão last season as well, he's a good player. I think all of these three players, they're good players.
"Marseille is a really, really good team. The atmosphere will be great, that's what we expect. Of course the atmosphere will be more on their side, so we have to be clever with it and try to be smart."
Home wins over Benfica and Athletic Club, following on from October’s away victory at Union Saint-Gilloise, have given Newcastle nine Champions League points from a possible 12, with their only defeat coming against Barcelona on MD1.
But Thiaw insisted: "We're just trying to focus on tomorrow. Of course, we put ourselves in a really good position with these three wins in a row, but the Champions League is a long journey so we're just trying to focus on the next game tomorrow. Hopefully we will win it and be in a better position."
Germany international Thiaw, who was recalled to the Die Mannschaft squad this month, joined the Magpies from AC Milan in the summer and hasn't looked back since making his first start in the sixth game of the season at AFC Bournemouth.
"I think the time I wasn't playing was a good time for me to adapt to the team, to the intensity of the training, what the gaffer wants, how my teammates are playing," he explained. "So I think actually this time when I wasn't playing, okay, I could be frustrated, but I was trying just to improve each training day and get the best out of each training session.
“In the end, it paid off. So when I came in, I was not really surprised of the speed, because the training intensity in Newcastle is really, really high. So I think it helped me a lot."
The 24-year-old's performances have earned him a chant, to the tune of Bella Ciao - "I'm just grateful for that. The Newcastle supporters have been amazing from the day I arrived," he said - and he's slowly getting to grips with the Geordie accent, too.
"My favourite part would be 'Howay the Lads'!,” he grinned. "To be honest, it's getting better, but it's really difficult. When the guys are speaking to me, they speak normal English - they avoid the accent - but I'm trying to learn it as well."
