St. James’ Park hosts a match this Wednesday that could reshape the European outlook for Newcastle and PSV in the 2025/26 Champions League. With two rounds left in the league phase, the English side takes the field knowing a win keeps the top-eight dream alive, while the Dutch arrive doing the math to avoid the very real risk of an early exit.
Newcastle are playing for more than just the playoffs
Newcastle sit 12th with 10 points, a return that’s enough to feel safe in the playoff zone for now, but still short of what Eddie Howe and the fan base expected when the competition began. The Champions League’s new format is ruthless to teams that stumble early, yet generous to those who catch fire late. Beating PSV at home would close the gap to the top eight and send Newcastle into the final round, against PSG, still driven by ambition rather than survival.
Even with an uneven Premier League campaign, the Magpies have found the Champions League to be more comfortable ground. They’ve won three matches, drawn one, and lost two. Newcastle have spent nearly half of their total game time in the lead in this edition, a mark bettered only by Bayern Munich, Arsenal, and Manchester City.
Anthony Gordon has become the face of this European run. Five goals in six games, constant danger in the final third, and the sense that every threatening move seems to run through him.
Probable Newcastle lineup: Pope, Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Hall, Bruno Guimarães, Tonali, Joelinton, Barnes, Wissa, Gordon.
PSV arrive confident but with no room for error
PSV are 21st with eight points and know that any negative result in England could turn the final round into a risky exercise in scenarios and combinations. Peter Bosz’s team, though, doesn’t arrive rattled. Quite the opposite. Their away numbers stand out. PSV are unbeaten on the road in this Champions League and come off a win that echoed across Europe, a 4–1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield that ended a long drought against English clubs away from home.
PSV have shown real personality on the ball. Two of the longest passing sequences that ended in goals in this Champions League belong to the Dutch side, including an all-time record of 46 passes against Napoli. Guus Til has scored in back-to-back matches, Ricardo Pepi was in good form before his injury, and the team has found the net in 18 of its last 19 group or league-phase games in the competition.
In the Eredivisie, a commanding lead at the top only adds to the confidence. Seventeen wins in 19 matches have created a cushion that allows PSV to approach the Champions League without the weight of a domestic crisis. The task now is carrying that belief into a hostile setting against an opponent that also knows mistakes aren’t an option.
Probable PSV Eindhoven lineup: Kovár; Sildillia, Schouten, Gasiorowski, Mauro Júnior; Veerman, Wanner, Perisic, Til, Driouech; Bajraktarevic.
Where to watch Newcastle vs PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League
United Kingdom: TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports Ultimate, discovery+, Talksport 2 Radio UK, discovery+ App, BBC Radio 5 Live
Canada: DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada
United States: CBS Sports Network, Paramount+, fuboTV, ViX
What is the date and kick-off time for Newcastle vs PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League
United Kingdom: 8:00 PM
United States and Canada (Eastern Time): 3:00 PM
United States and Canada (Pacific Time): 12:00 PM