Newcastle vs PSG Bet Builder Tips, Opta Stats and Match Facts

It’s Newcastle vs PSG at St James’ Park, and this is the night that all Geordies have been waiting for. Under the lights for this 20:00 kick-off, the stadium will be rocking and the atmosphere off the charts as Newcastle prepare themselves for their first home Champions League game in decades.

Fans have been yearning to see the likes of Kylian Mbappé and PSG as the travellers to the northeast of England. This is the ‘Group of Death’, with a victory worth its weight in gold.

Steve Wyss is our man taking you through the action.

• Under 1.5 First Half Goals
• Under 3.5 Goals
• Double Chance PSG or Draw

Bet Builder odds: 2.70

UEFA Champions League, Wednesday 4th October, 20:00 (UK)

Odds via bet365 as at Monday 2nd October 07:26 (UK). Odds may now differ.

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Newcastle vs PSG OPTA Stats: Landmark home return for Newcastle in the Champions League

• PSG have only lost one match in all competitions so far this season.
• Newcastle’s 0-0 draw with Milan on MD1 was just their third clean sheet in 19 UEFA Champions League matches. They’ve never recorded back-to-back shutouts in the competition before.
• The two teams have never met in a competitive fixture.
• This is Newcastle’s first home Champions League match since March 2003.
• Newcastle’s Expected Goals total on MD1 against Milan was just 0.30xG – the second lowest of any team in the opening round of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League. Indeed, Eddie Howe’s side only recorded one shot on target in the match and that came in the 95th minute through Sean Longstaff.
• Newcaslte have major injury doubts surrounding Callum Wilson, Sven Botman & Joelinton.
• Newcastle’s Nick Pope became the fifth English keeper to keep a clean sheet on his first UEFA Champions League start last time out, and first since Fraser Forster in 2012. No English keeper has ever kept a clean sheet in their first two starts in the competition before.
• Marco Asensio & Presnel Kimpembe remain sidelined for PSG.

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Newcastle vs PSG Bet Builder Tips: PSG can use their experience in tight contest

Under 1.5 First Half Goals

In what is perceived to be the ‘Group of Death’ of this season’s Champions League, all the teams know that the stakes are really high, and nobody can afford to make silly mistakes this early into the campaign. Both group games were 0-0 at half-time in matchday one, and a similar sort of theme could ensue here.

I expect a tight and closed game right from the off, where each side feels the other out. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is known for his cautious approach in big games, and seven of their last eight fixtures in all competitions have contained under 1.5 first-half goals. PSG was held 0-0 by Dortmund at the interval in matchday one and couldn’t even break through Clermont at the weekend in Ligue (0-0).

Under 3.5 Goals

This feels like the sort of match which is unlikely to explode in terms of goals. Newcastle are the bookies’ favourite to prevail here, but within the media and general population, there is a sense they are more of an underdog. When facing the top sides, Eddie Howe tends to prepare a defensive game plan, similar to how he set up vs Milan in the first matchday. Newcastle will sit back, put bodies on the line and try to counterattack. The best examples so far this season are when they lost 0-1 to Man City in the league and then beat them 1-0 in the EFL Cup. Howe will happily play a more pragmatic and ugly style if it means getting results.

Under Luis Enrique, PSG are going to have their lion’s share of the ball. They controlled the match vs Dortmund and had 65% possession. They top the Ligue 1 charts, averaging an impressive 71.6% overall. Against teams that defend deep, they are still finding their way, though, and have already drawn two matches 0-0 domestically vs Lorient and Clermont. They have a selection of high-class individuals, but Newcastle will be tough to break down.

Double Chance PSG or Draw

PSG are seasoned Champions League campaigners. This is always their number one priority competition. Their owners, fans and players are so desperate to win this trophy that they almost become too obsessed about it. PSG looked really focused in matchday one vs Dortmund, and you could sense at the weekend their eyes were on this clash at St James’ Park. Ultimately, you have one of the best sides in Europe facing a team who are probably only fifth or sixth best in the Premier League right now.

For Newcastle, this is a monumental occasion, and the stadium will be rocking. But they are inexperienced at this level, and they have fallen short when facing more formidable opponents this season so far. Minus the EFL Cup win vs Man City, which can’t be a proper judgment, they have lost to the likes of Liverpool, Brighton and Man City in the Premier League. It would be a surprise if PSG didn’t show their extra class and experience by at least drawing this particular fixture.

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