PSG vs Newcastle: Confirmed starting lineups in Champions League as Gordon and Barnes dropped in surprise XI

Paris Saint-Germain are guaranteed a place in the Champions League round of 16 if the defending champions win at home to Newcastle on Wednesday.

Having won the title for the first time last season, defeat is likely to drop PSG out of the top eight into the playoffs in February.

Visitors Newcastle are level on points with PSG in seventh, a place behind their opponents by a one-goal inferiority.

Eddie Howe will be looking for a much-improved performance from the 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday.

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PSG team news vs Newcastle

Achraf Hakimi returns from Africa Cup of Nations 2025 duty with Morocco. Joao Neves and Nuno Mendes are fit but Fabian Ruiz was not included in the squad.

PSG starting XI: Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Vitinha, Zaire-Emery, Joao Neves; Kvaratskhelia, Barcola, Dembele

PSG substitutes: Chevalier, James, Beraldo, Zabarnyi, Ramos, Doue, Hernandez, Mayulu, Mbaye

Newcastle team news vs PSG

Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes was deemed fit enough for a place on the bench alongside regular wingers Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes.

Joelinton, Tino Livramento, Fabian Schar, Emil Krafth and Jamaal Lascelles remain sidelined for Newcastle.

Newcastle starting XI: Pope, Miley, Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Willock, Ramsey; Elanga, Woltemade

Newcastle substitutes: Ramsdale, Harris, Trippier, Wissa, Gordon, Barnes, Osula, J Murphy, A Murphy, Guimaraes, Shahar

How to watch PSG vs Newcastle: TV and online streams

PSG versus Newcastle kicks off at 20:00 GMT (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT) on Wednesday. In the UK, the match is on TNT Sports 3 and can be streamed via the Discovery Plus app.

To watch elsewhere in the world, click HERE to find your local rights holder.

PSG vs Newcastle stats

• PSG and Newcastle’s only previous meetings came in the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League – the two sides drew their meeting at the Parc des Princes (1-1), after Eddie Howe’s side had won 4-1 in the first game at St. James’ Park
• This will be Newcastle’s 10th away game against a French side in Europe, while they have only managed one victory from the previous nine (D3 L5): 4-0 v Sochaux in the UEFA Cup in November 2004
• Since the 2013-14 season, PSG have hosted an English side on 16 occasions in the UEFA Champions League (W8 D4 L4) – those matches have seen a total of 54 goals scored (31 for, 23 against), at an average of 3.4 per game, and both sides have scored at least once in 14 of the 16 fixtures
• PSG have lost two of their last four UEFA Champions League matches (W1 D1), as many as in their previous 15 combined (W13 L2)
• They last suffered consecutive defeats in November 2024, losing to Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich
• Newcastle have won four of their last six games in the UEFA Champions League (D1 L1), keeping a clean sheet in all four victories. Only league phase leaders Arsenal (5) have won more games to nil in the competition this season
• Across their first five UEFA Champions League games this season, Paris SG scored 19 goals, converting 18.6% of their attempts (19/102). In their last two games, they’ve actually averaged more shots per game (23) than in their first five games (20) but have scored just one goal from 46 shots (2.2% conversion)
• Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon has been directly involved in eight goals in the UEFA Champions League this season (6 goals, 2 assists), while the last English with more for an English club in a single edition was Raheem Sterling for Manchester City in 2019-20 (9 – 6 goals, 3 assists)

When is the Champions League knockout phase?

Knockout phase play-offs: February 17/18 & 24/25 2026
Round of 16: March 10/11 & 17/18 2026
Quarter-finals: April 7/8 & 14/15 2026
Semi-finals: April 28/29 and May 5/6 2026
Final: May 30 2026 (Budapest)

When are the Champions League draws?

Knockout phase play-offs: January 30 2026
Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final: February 27 2026

Champions League 2025/26 format

In a change from the previous group stage format conducted until 2023/24, each team now plays eight matches in the league phase, all against different opponents.

Four of those matches will be at home and four away, with the opponents determined according to four seeding pots split by rankings.

Teams will play two opponents from each of those pots – one against a team from each pot at home and one away. The results decide the overall standings in one league.

The top eight sides in the table qualify automatically for the round of 16. The teams finishing in ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout phase play-off to reach the last 16.

Teams finishing 25th or lower are out of Europe for the season.

English teams in the Champions League: Why are there six clubs?

Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle all qualified as the top five teams in the Premier League.

There were five places for English teams because extra positions are awarded according to Uefa’s co-efficient rankings, which are based on the overall performances of nations across European competition over a season.

Spurs qualified as Europa League champions, despite losing 22 and winning only 11 of their 2024/25 league games and finishing 17th.

When is the Champions League final?

The final will take place on May 30 2026 at the The Puskas Arena in Budapest, which opened in 2019 and is home to Hungary’s national team.

The arena hosted a dramatic 2022/23 Europa League final, when Sevilla beat Roma on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time.

Newcastle Champions League squad 2025/26

Newcastle’s List A Champions League squad has been registered until the round of 16 in February 2026, when clubs can register a maximum of three new players within the existing limit of 25.

Goalkeepers: Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale

Defenders: Kieran Trippier, Sven Botman, Fabian Schär, Malick Thiaw, Emil Krafth, Tino Livramento, Dan Burn

Midfielders: Joelinton, Sandro Tonali, Joe Willock, Bruno Guimaraes, Jacob Ramsey

Forwards: Yoane Wissa, Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes, William Osula, Anthony Elanga, Jacob Murphy, Nick Woltemade

List B submissions, comprised of players born after January 1, 2004 who have been eligible to play for the club for an uninterrupted period of two years since their 15th birthday, can also be made until midnight before each match.

Defender Lewis Hall and midfielder Lewis Miley are initially on List B.