There’s perhaps no fixture on the final day of Champions League league phase action that’ll be more directly decisive than Paris Saint-Germain’s clash with Newcastle United.
The two teams face off for just the third time ever, having been paired together in the ’Group of Death’ during the 2023–24 Champions League group stage. Newcastle ran riot against Luis Enrique’s 4-2-4 at St. James’ Park, and were cruelly denied a slender victory in Paris by virtue of a woeful handball decision in stoppage time that resulted in a PSG penalty.
That was the Parisians in their infancy under Enrique, with the perennial French champions evolving into European conquerers at the end of the Spaniard’s second season at the helm.
However, they haven’t quite hit their stride in 2025–26, and last week’s defeat at Sporting CP means the holders risk missing out on an automatic spot in the round of 16. PSG head into Wednesday’s game with an identical record to their opponents, and the loser will almost certainly slide out of the top eight and be forced to compete in the playoffs next month. A draw doesn’t help either team.
Newcastle have earned the bulk of their 13 points at St. James’ Park, and remain a far tamer unit on their travels. Thus, it’s going to take something special for them to topple Enrique’s side in Paris.
What Time Does PSG vs. Newcastle Kick-Off?
- Location: Paris, France
- Stadium: Parc des Princes
- Date: Wednesday, Jan. 28
- Kick-off Time: 8 p.m. GMT / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
- Referee: Slavko Vinčić (SVN)
- VAR: Christian Dingert (GER)
PSG vs. Newcastle Head-to-Head Record (All Games)
- PSG: 0 wins
- Newcastle: 1 win
- Draws: 1
- Last meeting: PSG 1–1 Newcastle (Nov. 28, 2023)—Champions League
Current Form (All Competitions)
| PSG (WDWLD) | Newcastle (LWDLD) |
|---|---|
| Auxerre 0–1 PSG | Newcastle 0–2 Aston Villa |
| Sporting CP 2–1 PSG | Newcastle 3–0 PSV Eindhoven |
| PSG 3–0 Lille | Wolves 0–0 Newcastle |
| PSG 0–1 Paris FC | Newcastle 0–2 Man City |
| PSG 2–2 (4–1P) Marseille | Newcastle 3–3 (7–6p) Bournemouth |
How to Watch PSG vs. Newcastle on TV
| Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | TNT Sports 3, discovery+, discovery+ App |
| United States | Paramount+ |
| Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada |
| Mexico | FOX One |
PSG Team News
Achraf Hakimi hasn’t featured for his club since November, having travelled to the Africa Cup of Nations in December and missing the weekend’s victory over Auxerre through injury. The right back is set to be fit for Wednesday’s game, though, and he’s one of several key returnees for the home side.
In addition to Hakimi, Luis Enrique should have Fabián Ruiz, João Neves and Nuno Mendes available for Newcastle’s visit.
Marquinhos and Willian Pacho were rested at the weekend, while Ousmané Dembélé and Désiré Doue featured off the bench. All four could be included in a very strong PSG XI.
PSG Predicted Lineup vs. Newcastle
PSG predicted lineup vs. Newcastle (4-3-3): Chevalier; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Vitinha, Fabián, Neves; Doué, Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia.
Newcastle Team News
There’s midfield trouble for the away side, who lost again at the weekend in the absence of Bruno Guimarães. The Brazilian hasn’t yet been ruled out for the trip to Paris due to the ankle injury he sustained last week.
There are also concerns about Joelinton’s knee injury, which forced him off against Villa. If Guimarães and Joelinton aren’t fit, we could see Howe revert to the utilisation of Nick Woltemade as a No. 10. The German could play a key role in facilitating Newcastle’s counter-attacks, with Yoane Wissa likely to lead the line.
Jacob Murphy is set to miss out again with a hamstring injury, while Fabian Schär, Jamaal Lascelles and Tino Livramento are also sidelined.
Newcastle Predicted Lineup vs. PSG
Newcastle predicted lineup vs. PSG (4-2-3-1): Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Miley; Elanga, Woltemade, Barnes; Wissa.
PSG vs. Newcastle Score Prediction
Neither team heads into this game in blistering form, but Enrique will be aided by the returns of key players to the fold in midweek. PSG should look more like last season’s otherworldly iteration in terms of personnel on Wednesday night.
Newcastle, meanwhile, desperately need their captain to be fit. It’ll be a struggle either way, but Howe has the capacity to make life difficult for the hosts. The Magpies haven’t quite maximised their counter-attacking potential this season, having signed a superb facilitator (Woltemade) and speedster (Anthony Elanga) in the summer.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if PSG are rocked a couple of times by Newcastle’s threat in transition, but the home side’s quality should tell against a defence that’s prone to being prised apart.
Prediction: PSG 2–1 Newcastle
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as PSG vs. Newcastle: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
