Newcastle United vs Paris Saint-Germain
Group F of the 2023-24 Champions League is getting interesting as it’s living up to its “Group of Death” billing. With limited spots in the knockout stages, every point matters between PSG, Newcastle United, AC Milan, and Borussia Dortmund.
AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund are going to go at each other at Signal Iduna Park, which was previewed here recently, so that leaves us with the game between Newcastle United and PSG at St. James Park this Wednesday.
As of this writing, PSG are on top of the group with three points, while Newcastle United and AC Milan have one point each and Borussia Dortmund have none.
Who will come out on top after this week’s Champions League 2023 results? Read more below for the SBOTOP preview of this contest.
Talking Points
Newcastle United’s myriad of injuries
Five matches in 15 days are taking a physical toll on Newcastle United, which is evident in their injury list. Harvey Barnes (ankle), Joe Willock (Achilles), Sven Botman (knee), Callum Wilson (hamstring), and Joelinton (thigh) are the key players who won’t get to play for the Magpies this Wednesday.
Barnes limped off the pitch in Newcastle United’s 8-0 thrashing of Sheffield United last week, and the winger now faces three months out of action with a foot injury.
Willock has yet to play a single game this season, while Botman and Wilson didn’t play against Burnley on Saturday. Joelinton did play against the Clarets but left the field due to a thigh strain.
Eddie Howe said that Joelinton’s issue is not a serious one, but with the tight turnaround time from Saturday to Wednesday, the Brazilian is not expected to make it against PSG.
Anthony Gordon, who is suspended for Newcastle United’s clash against West Ham United, might make his way back into the starting lineup to go alongside the likes of Alexander Isak and Miguel Almiron up front.
Meanwhile, team captain Jamaal Lascelles is in line to start once again to replace Sven Botman as the starting right-sided centre-back.
Mbappe not yet “at his best”
Despite scoring eight goals in seven matches in all competitions so far for PSG, local reports claim that Kylian Mbappe has yet to find his stride this season.
That is according to L’Equipe, who said that the PSG striker is “paying the price” for missing three weeks of pre-season because of the contract standoff he had with the club.
Mbappe had an ankle scare in last weekend’s Le Classique matchup against Marseille, but fortunately, he managed to play the full 90 minutes against Clermont on Saturday.
Similar to Newcastle United, PSG will miss some of their key players, including Nuno Mendes (hamstring), Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles), Keylor Navas (back), and Marco Asensio (foot).
But with Mbappe now focused on forgetting the soap opera in Paris (at least for now), that might be enough to put the Parisiens through.
History
Newcastle United and PSG are set to square off for the first time ever this Wednesday.
The Magpies have won just three of their 13 encounters with French opponents across all competitions (D4, L6), while the Parisiens also have a poor record against English sides, having lost five of their last seven Champions League matches against them (W2).
PSG’s recent victories against Premier League sides were a 3-1 win against Manchester United in December 2020 and a 2-0 result against Manchester City in September 2021.
Newcastle United are currently playing their first European campaign since competing in the 2012-13 Europa League. They also last played in the Champions League in 2003-04.
Meanwhile, PSG have been a regular fixture here in the Champions League, although they have yet to win it all.
The Parisiens have been particularly dangerous in the second Champions League group stage match because they have won each of the last 10 games, scoring 29 goals and conceding just five.
Betting Tip
The Champions League 2023 odds expect a tight contest at Tyneside this weekend. Because they’re playing at home, Newcastle United were given the slight edge at 2.43 odds to win, whereas a PSG road victory is priced at 2.61 and a draw is at 3.25 in the 1X2 market.
If we had to choose between the Magpies and the Parisiens, we’d be more confident in the latter’s chances because of the former’s manpower concerns, hence our recommended bet. Both teams have displayed strong defencive displays over the past few weeks. With that said, Under 2.75 at 2.06 is a safe alternative to consider, while Total Goal 0-1 is also on offer at a solid value of 4.30.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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