Newcastle United secured their place in the Champions League knockout rounds with a commanding 3-0 triumph over PSV Eindhoven at St James' Park on Wednesday evening.
However, a major injury concern to Bruno Guimaraes dampened the spirits of the Geordies after the club captain was forced off.
Eddie Howe's side climbed to seventh in the league phase standings with 13 points from seven matches, keeping alive their hopes of automatic qualification.
A crowd of 52,076 witnessed the comprehensive victory, which leaves Newcastle requiring a positive result against holders Paris Saint-Germain next week to potentially bypass the play-off round entirely.
Anthony Gordon and Yoane Wissa were both on the scoresheet on a fine night for Newcastle
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PSV, despite leading the Eredivisie by 16 points, slipped to 22nd position.
Yoane Wissa marked his maiden Champions League start with the opening goal after just eight minutes, capitalising on a wayward clearance from PSV goalkeeper Matej Kovar.
Guimaraes intercepted the loose ball and fed Joelinton, who unselfishly squared for Wissa to finish with composure.
Anthony Gordon doubled the advantage on the half-hour mark following another defensive mishap, with Yarek Gasiorowski's underhit backpass allowing Wissa to tee up his teammate for a simple finish.
Gordon's sixth goal of this season's competition drew him level with Alan Shearer's club record for a single Champions League campaign.
Bruno Guimaraes was forced off through injury after the break, giving Eddie Howe a problem
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Harvey Barnes completed the scoring in the 65th minute, racing onto a miscontrolled clearance to fire home his 12th goal of the season.
Eddie Howe expressed satisfaction with his team's display in his post-match interview with TNT Sports.
"Really good performance from us. A difficult opponent, tactically they are tough to play against," the Newcastle manager said.
He singled out Wissa for particular praise, noting the striker had joined the club partly for occasions such as this European night.
"I thought it was the best individual performances from a lot of the players for a while," Howe added.
The manager also highlighted Gordon's outstanding form throughout the competition, describing him as one of several players who have excelled in this year's Champions League campaign.
The victory was tempered by concern over captain Bruno Guimaraes, who departed the pitch just before half-time following an ankle injury sustained in a collision with Kovar.
Fantastic start for Newcastle, and it's a 1st Champions League goal for Yoane Wissa as he gives them a 1-0 lead! 💥@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/LatW6lLSPK
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 21, 2026
"For Bruno to come off it is a worrying sign but fingers crossed," Howe admitted.
The Brazilian midfielder's potential absence could prove significant as Newcastle prepare for their final league phase fixture against Paris Saint-Germain, where they will seek to secure a top-eight finish.
However, Howe urged patience regarding the trip to the French capital.
"It is what we have to try to do. One step at a time, it is Aston Villa first. Premier League is so important and a really tough game," he stated.