Champions League Matchday 8: Paris Saint-Germain vs Newcastle facts

Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United renew acquaintances as the league phase of the UEFA Champions League comes to a conclusion with both sides looking to protect their position in the top eight of the standings.

The teams each have 13 points, Paris in sixth position and Newcastle seventh, with both already guaranteed a place in the knockout phase play-offs and now aiming to book direct passage to the round of 16.

Last match

The sides' only previous meetings came in the 2023/24 group stage, where Newcastle won 4-1 at St James' Park – Dan Burn and Fabian Schär both on target and Lucas Hernández getting Paris' only reply – before a 1-1 draw at the Parc des Princes on Matchday 5 in which Kylian Mbapppé scored an added-time penalty equaliser to cancel out Alexander Isak's first-half opener.

Paris were 5-3 winners at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Matchday 5, making it five victories in their last seven games against Premier League clubs (D1 L1) and four unbeaten (W3 D1).

The French club have won four of their last five games against English clubs at the Parc des Princes (L1).

Newcastle lost 2-1 at Marseille on Matchday 5 and have won only four of their 16 games against French teams (D5 L7).

Defeat at Marseille made it five defeats, and one win, in Newcastle's nine away matches against Ligue 1 clubs.

Paris

This is Paris' 18th campaign in the Champions League proper. They have featured every season since 2012/13, reaching the knockout stages in all 13 of those most recent campaigns.

Fifteenth in last season's league phase (W4 D1 L3), Luis Enrique's side beat Brest (10-0 aggregate), Liverpool (1-1, 4-1 pens), Aston Villa (5-4) and Arsenal (3-1) to reach the showpiece in Munich, where their 5-0 win against Inter was the biggest final victory in European Cup history.

Newcastle 

This is Newcastle's fourth campaign in the Champions League proper, although only their second since 2002/03. This is the first time they have qualified for the knockout rounds.

Eddie Howe's side were fourth in their section behind Dortmund, Paris and AC Milan two seasons ago (W1 D2 L3), their sole win that home success against the French club.

Key stats

A 2-1 loss at Sporting CP on Matchday 7 was only Paris' second in their last ten league phase games (W7 D1).

Paris have lost only two of their last 18 home games in the group stage/league phase (W13 D3), scoring four or more goals in three of their last four.

Newcastle were 3-0 winners at home to PSV Eindhoven on Matchday 7 and have won four of their last six league phase matches without conceding a goal (D1 L1).

Anthony Gordon's goal against PSV made it six in seven Champions League appearances this season. He is Newcastle's joint top scorer in the competition's history, Matchday 1 to final, on six, level with Alan Shearer and one ahead of Harvey Barnes – who also found the net against PSV.