Ruthless Newcastle Sweep Aside PSV to Seal Champions League Play-Off Spot | OneFootball

Newcastle United 3–0 PSV Eindhoven

UEFA Champions League | St James’ Park

Goals: Wissa (8), Gordon (30), Barnes (65)

Newcastle United took a decisive step towards the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League with a commanding 3–0 victory over PSV Eindhoven at a vibrant St James’ Park.

Roared on by a home crowd keen to add another chapter to the club’s European story, Newcastle United delivered a performance that blended intensity, ruthlessness and composure, punishing every major error from the Dutch champions.

The breakthrough arrived inside eight minutes. A loose clearance from PSV goalkeeper Matej Kovar fell straight to Bruno Guimarães, whose sharp pass released Joelinton. The midfielder squared unselfishly for Yoane Wissa, who showed real poise to lift the ball over Kovar and into the net. It was another significant moment in Wissa’s impressive start to life on Tyneside.

Newcastle continued to press aggressively, unsettling PSV’s back line, and the second goal was a direct consequence of that pressure. Defender Yarek Gasiorowski’s heavy touch was seized upon by Wissa, who slid the ball across goal for Anthony Gordon to tap home with the net unguarded. In doing so, Gordon equalled Alan Shearer’s club record of six goals in a single Champions League campaign.

The only blemish on an otherwise excellent first half came when Newcastle captain Guimarães was forced off with an ankle injury, a moment that briefly tempered the mood inside the stadium.

Any lingering nerves were removed midway through the second half. PSV captain Jerdy Schouten failed to deal with a hopeful ball into the box and Harvey Barnes reacted quickest, wriggling free before finishing clinically from close range to make it 3–0.

From there, Newcastle managed the contest with maturity, limiting PSV to little of note while conserving energy. The result lifts Eddie Howe’s side into seventh place in the league-phase standings and, crucially, secures at least a play-off place in the last 16.

With momentum building under Eddie Howe, Newcastle now travel to face reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain knowing that a statement result in Paris could yet deliver automatic qualification for the knockout stages.

For PSV, it was a chastening night. Sloppy in possession and punished without mercy, they slip to 22nd in the standings and face an uphill task to prolong their European campaign.