ST JAMES' PARK will be rocking to its foundations as Champions League football makes its return to Newcastle with a glamour clash against Paris St-Germain and their superstar striker Kylian Mbappe.
Newcastle United are back at Europe's top table for the first time in two decades and they couldn't have been handed a tougher group, with AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund making up the rest of the section.
Eddie Howe's side proved they won't be overawed by grinding out a 0-0 draw at the San Siro in their opener and the fans who descended on Milan in their thousands now can't wait to give a fiery welcome to Mbappe and Co.
That stalemate with the Rossoneri could be the launchpad for their season as Newcastle followed it up with an 8-0 battering of Sheffield United then a huge win over European champions Manchester City in the League Cup.
Burnley were also beaten 2-0 at St James' Park on Saturday so Newcastle United could hardly be in better spirits as they head into a clash with the French champions.
I thought Dortmund might be worth a punt in the double chance market for their Paris opener with Paris St-Germain after Luis Enrique's side had made a poor start to the Ligue 1 campaign.
But PSG eased to a 2-0 victory, with two other bets landing for me, then crushed Marseille 4-0 to show they are finally starting to get their act together under the former Spain boss. A weekend stalemate with Clermont halted their momentum a little but if Mbappe and Co click into top gear against Newcastle they have the talent to silence a partisan crowd.
How the bookies view it
Newcastle United should probably be favourites based on the form of both sides and with a passionate crowd behind them. But the bookies are sitting on the fence with the Magpies 13/8 at Betfair and Paris St-Germain 7/4 with 888Sport. A second successive stalemate for Newcastle pays 14/5 at William Hill.
Head to head
These sides have never played each other before in a competitive game but PSG don't have a great record against English clubs. The French giants have lost 11 of their 27 matches, winning just eight.
Players to watch
Alexander Isak is really starting to hit his stride at Newcastle and the Swede has netted six times in 10 appearances this season. He netted the winner against Manchester City and is 2/1 at Unibet for another goal here.
It's hard to look past Mbappe for a Paris St-Germain goal and he's a best 29/20 for anytime scorer at William Hill. The odds are much bigger for an assist at 100/30 at SkyBet and that could be worth a punt.
Anything else catch the eye?
Looking at the attacking line-up on show, it's a fixture that promises a few thrills. But we didn't see a goal in Milan and Newcastle also played it cagey in the first half when they edged that 1-0 victory over Manchester City. That makes me think under 2.5 goals could be worth a look here at 13/10 with Unibet while backing most goals to come in the second half pays evens at McBookie.
It could get a bit feisty with the pumped up crowd and that makes cards a good option for punters. Backing PSG for most cards appeals at evens with Unibet while Newcastle's Dan Burn is a tempting 10/3 at Bet365 to fall foul of the referee.
Randal Kolo Muani is one of Paris St-Germain's big summer buys and he has made a decent start, with four goals in nine outings. Unibet price the winger at 59/50 just to have a shot on target and that looks good value.
This UEFA Champions League match between Newcastle United and Paris St-Germain will be played on Oct 4, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Newcastle United vs Paris St-Germain prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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