Every season, there are a few storylines that rumble the football world — and we might just have witnessed this year’s biggest moment when Newcastle United hosted Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League group stage encounter at St James’ Park.
Eddie Howe’s men stunned the French giants in the PSG v Newcastle odds, with a monumental 4-1 victory over Luis Enrique’s side. The atmosphere in the northeast was electric as Champions League football returned to Newcastle for the first time in over 20 years.
The iconic anthem of Europe’s premier club competition being blasted out from the speakers before kickoff at St James’ Park was spine-tingling. But it was in the 17th minute that the Newcastle fans got goosebumps, as Miguel Almiron scored to give the hosts the lead over PSG.
Many of the home supporters would have had to pinch themselves at that moment, as Kylian Mbappe trudged to the halfway line to get the ball back rolling. But what was occurring in front of them only got better when Dan Burn’s headed effort survived a tense VAR check to make it 2-0 to Newcastle.
The mood on the St James’ Park concourses at half-time must have been at an all-time high, especially when you consider the almighty lows Newcastle fans endured during previous owner Mike Ashley’s tenure. The Magpies were in a dreamworld when Sean Longstaff bagged to make it 3-0 five minutes into the second half.
Just when it looked like it was all over, France international Lucas Hernandez pulled one back for PSG in the 56th minute. That might have made some inside St James’ Park cautious of a potential comeback from the Ligue 1 side, as it could have fired up Mbappe and company.
That didn’t transpire, however, and the Magpies were celebrating again when defender Fabian Schar drove an effort passed Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from the edge of the box for Newcastle’s fourth goal of the evening in the 91st minute.
“I’m so pleased with the players for what they gave tonight,” Howe said afterward. “It was a difficult game tactically, PSG try to play from the back, so we had to unbalance and unsettle them.
“We were man for man at the back against elite players and they had some moments when they hurt us in what, I thought, was an even game but our goals came at good moments. To score four times against PSG in front of our supporters made it a really special night. The atmosphere was very special; I can’t thank our fans enough.
“In Milan in the last game (when Newcastle drew 0-0) there was an element of us not quite hitting our levels but tonight gives us the belief we need to be successful. But it’s only a small step.”
With just two games of the group left to be played, there is still work left to be done. Newcastle need to go to the Parc des Princes to face PSG again on November 28, and the Magpies are the underdogs if you’re looking for a bet on football.
A defeat in Paris would see them eliminated from the Champions League before they even face AC Milan in their final game at home.
