Soccer Football - Champions League - Group F - Newcastle United v Paris St Germain - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain - October 4, 2023 Paris St Germain's Bradley Barcola in action with Newcastle United's Jamaal Lascelles Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith
NEWCASTLE, England (Reuters) -A rampant Newcastle United put in a stellar showing to secure a superb 4-1 victory over French champions Paris St Germain in their first Champions League home match in 20 years on Wednesday.
In a red-hot atmosphere in the north east, PSG had no answer to the relentless hosts who raced into a 17th-minute lead through Miguel Almiron, before Dan Burn powered home a header six minutes before the break to double Newcastle's advantage.
The crowd ensured there was no let-up after the break, with Sean Longstaff drilling a third under the arm of Gianluigi Donnarumma in the PSG goal five minutes into the second half to send the Newcastle fans into dreamland.
A goal out of nowhere from Lucas Hernandez got the visitors back in it, before a stoppage-time fourth from defender Fabian Schar capped a stunning victory that moved Newcastle top of Group F on four points, one clear of PSG in second.
PSG suffered their heaviest group-stage defeat in the Champions League since losing 3-0 against Chelsea in September 2004, and conceded four in a single group game in the competition for the first time since a 3-4 defeat to Deportivo La Coruna in March 2001.
"So pleased for the players for what they have given me and the football club," Newcastle coach Eddie Howe said. "It is such a good feeling for everyone here.
"Tactically it was two very good teams going up against each other. We had to try and unsettle them and the crowd helped us do that. To score four goals was not something we expected to do."
Luis Enrique's side travelled to Newcastle having struggled to get going domestically in Ligue 1 this term while boasting a disappointing record of five defeats in their previous seven clashes with English teams in the Champions League.
That run always looked like extending as the French champions were second best from the off, unable to muster a single shot on target in the opening period -- the first time they had done so in the first half of a Champions League group-stage match since November 2013.
With the crowd cheering every tackle in the sodden conditions, and some players following suit, Newcastle slowly grew into the game, with Almiron becoming their first goalscorer in the competition since Premier League all-time top goalscorer Alan Shearer to lift the roof off St James' Park.
Donnarumma was forced into several fine stops before he could do nothing to keep out Burn's bullet header, a goal awarded after a lengthy VAR review.
Longstaff's strike, one that Donnarumma should really have kept out having got down, took Newcastle to within sight of a famous win, before Hernandez glanced Warren Zaire-Emery's cross home to threaten a PSG comeback.
Other than a Nick Pope save to beat out a Ousmane Dembele strike, PSG rarely troubled the Newcastle goal, with Schar's superb strike from distance the icing on the cake for the jubilant hosts.
"I am responsible for what happened his evening," Luis Enrique said.
"My team's attitude was very good throughout. The outcome of the game was fair, my players struggled with their pressing game. We made some careless mistakes which at this level you cannot afford to do."
In the group's other contest on Wednesday, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan played out a 0-0 draw in Germany, Milan's second stalemate in their opening two Champions League matches this season.
(Reporting by Peter HallEditing by Toby Davis and Clare Fallon)
