Premier League unit Newcastle United posted a 3-0 win at St. James Park on Thursday in the UEFA Champions League encounter against Marseille.
Yoanne Wissa, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes netted a goal
apiece for Eddie Howe and Co. to help them climb to seventh in the table.
Wissa, making his first start in the Champions League, and Gordon both scored within the first half-hour after the Dutch champions faltered.
Harvey Barnes added the final goal just after the hour mark, marking his fifth in as many games.
“I thought it was one of our best individual performances from a lot of the players for a while,” said Newcastle boss Eddie Howe.
The victory was marred by an ankle injury to captain Bruno Guimaraes, who had to leave the game just before half-time. Guimaraes’ potential absence could be significant when Howe’s team faces Paris Saint-Germain next week in the final round of league phase fixtures, aiming for a top-eight finish.
Newcastle is currently in the top eight only on goal difference and will likely need to defeat the holders at home to avoid the play-off round.
Wissa justified Howe’s decision to start him ahead of Nick Woltemade with a goal and an assist on what the DR Congo international called a “special night.” Having joined from Brentford in September, Wissa spent most of his career in the lower tiers of French and English football.
“Honestly, unbelievable. That’s why I joined the club… I almost cried,” said Wissa on hearing the Champions League anthem on the pitch for the first time. “Very emotional. (At) 29 years old, I never believed to be here and so now I’m enjoying every single minute.”
Wissa scored his first goal in European competition from Joelinton’s pass after a poor clearance by PSV goalkeeper Matej Kovar.
PSV, leading the Eredivisie by 16 points, have had a successful season but remain at risk of missing the top 24 and the play-off round despite significant victories.
The visitors continued to make errors, with Yarek Gasiorowski’s weak backpass allowing Wissa to set up Gordon for a simple finish. Gordon now has six goals in the Champions League this season, behind only Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane in the top scorer race.
However, the half ended poorly for Newcastle when Guimaraes required extensive treatment after colliding with Kovar during a corner and was subsequently replaced.
Howe’s options in midfield and defence are already limited due to a long injury list amid a demanding schedule, with Newcastle still competing in four competitions. However, he has plenty of choices up front, with Barnes in excellent form since the start of the year. The 28-year-old burst through the static PSV defence to score his 12th goal of the season.
Saudi-backed Newcastle is one of five Premier League teams currently in the top eight, showcasing the financial strength of English sides in Europe’s elite competition. They will need to secure their position against another wealthy club, Qatari-owned PSG, aiming to prevent the holders from directly qualifying for the last 16.
