That’s the lot for tonight. Thanks for reading. See you next week for a seismic matchday eight.

Newcastle’s Yoane Wissa speaks after a goal, an assist and a player of the match gong: “It was a good night. The target was to win today … for us it’s really good and for me it’s a special night … A goal and an assist, really pleased with that.

“It was hard work. They are tricky opponent … we scored from two mistakes … we kept them under high pressure … they like to play, so the main thing was to press them high. Really pleased with the hard work today because it’s not easy to run like this.

“It’s tricky when you join a club and get injured straight away. So yeah, you come back, you have to trust your game.

“The atmosphere was unbelievable. That’s why I joined the club. I almost cried when the music came on. Very emotional. I’m 29, I never thought I’d be here, but I’m going to enjoy every single minute.

“I always try to work hard. That’s me. When I walk out and see all the flags and listen to the music I get goosebumps. I’m grateful. I’ve come a long way. My family, my Mum and Dad are here … It’s a special night tonight. [He waves at his family up who are cheering and applauding from up in the stand.]

“PSG are the best team in Europe … we have a tough opponent … we focus on Sunday first then Paris Saint-Germain. We need a lot of belief and a lot of confidence. Playing against them you need to be strong mentally. It’s not going to be easy. But we need to be strong as a team. The main thing is to go through.”

“We know what we can do when we turn up against teams,” adds Barnes, before next week’s showdown in France against Paris Saint-Germain.

“We had a sour taste after the game there a few years ago so it’s one we’ll probably want to put right. Massive challenge, they’re a quality side, but yeah – why not?”

Why not, why not indeed.

Harvey Barnes has a chat: “It’s a big step in the right direction. We’ve been on a good little run of form away from the Champions League. We knew it was important to take it into tonight … yeah, a really special night.

“They’re a team that want to play out. We’re a pressing team and we want to get after them … it’s something we noticed before the game and we executed it really well … in the end it was a comfortable one.”

Is Barnes pleased for Yoane Wissa? “Really happy for him. He’s had a tough start here, he was injured for a long time. I had a similar start here so I know how tough it is, watching on form the stands. I know how delighted he’ll be with his first Champions League goal, buzzing for him, I thought he played really well.”

Barcelona came from behind to defeat Slavia Prague 4-2 on a freezing night in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Fermín López scoring twice and Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski adding second-half goals to secure the victory.

The win lifts Barcelona to ninth in the standings with one game remaining on 13 points, level with seven other teams vying for a top-eight finish and direct qualification for the round of 16. Slavia languish third-from-bottom with three points.

Slavia stunned the visitors with a Vasil Kusej goal from a cleverly-worked corner in the 10th minute but Barca equalised with a López strike from close-range in the 34th.

López doubled his tally and gave Barcelona the lead in the 42nd minute with a fine effort from the edge of the box but their advantage lasted two minutes as Slavia equalised thanks to a defensive mishap, with Lewandowski deflecting a corner into his own goal.

But Barcelona took back control in the second half and strikes by Olmo in the 63rd minute and Lewandowski eight minutes later sealed victory. (Reuters)

Liam Rosenior’s first taste of managing in the Champions League will not live long in the memory. Chelsea toiled against determined underdogs and were at risk of a humiliating result before a late header from Moisés Caicedo kept alive their hopes of direct qualification into the last 16.

There are many ways to self-destruct on a football pitch but PSV Eindhoven chose one of the more obvious methods.

In opting to play out slowly from the back against high-pressing opponents possessing forwards blessed with the speed and skill of Yoane Wissa and Anthony Gordon, Peter Bosz’s team were always likely to come undone.

Liverpool and Arne Slot continue to find their release on European soil. What had been billed as an intimidating, intense examination of the faltering Premier League champions by Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille proved nothing of the sort as Slot’s side moved confidently towards automatic qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League.

Here’s the updated table. Chelsea, Newcastle, Spurs, Liverpool and “the Arsenal” are all in the top eight. But it’s tight, and things could change next week.

“I agree about the terribleness of the format,” writes Kári Tulinius. “When I first heard that Uefa were thinking about a Swiss tournament, I got excited, because that usually means that competitors with similar records get paired together, ensuring lots of top of the table clashes and winnable matches for the less fancied. But instead we have this abomination where there is no real jeopardy until the final round, and even then it’s for like two or three teams.”

Cody Gakpo makes it 3-0 to Liverpool in the south of France.

Pafos have half a chance to snatch a point at Chelsea. That would not be a good thing for Rosenior early doors in his tenure.

You can dress it up any way you like, but this format is simply rubbish compared to the traditional group system.

“I assume Thomas Tuchel is watching Goals Show Extra,” Matt Smith declares on TNT Sports of the England manager’s potential evening entertainment. “How else do you keep across it all?”

Smooth.

Liverpool are two up – check it out with Michael Butler!

Bayern being held by Union Saint Gilloise is pretty remarkable.

So is Chelsea being held by Pafos, I suppose.

What does this all mean for the hallowed Champions League league phase table? Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it.

It’s quite literally half-time in all the games now.

Newcastle will be extremely satisfied with that.

Here’s some half time reading, see you in a few.

Liverpool now do lead in Marseille. Get the latest here, but don’t forget me.

Unai Simón makes a tremendous double save for Athletic Bilbao to prevent Atalanta from going 2-0 up. Scamacca has also had a goal ruled out for offside, although it wasn’t him who was the guilty party.

34 min: Pafos just hit the post against Chelsea! Chelsea aren’t covering themselves in glory and Rosenior is not best pleased.

“It’s been Bayern Munich all my life, let’s not change a thing,” writes Declan.

“As a season-ticket holder for USG I’m on tenter hooks. Let’s see how League Two legends Ross Sykes (Accrington Stanley) and Christian Burgess (Portsmouth) cope with Harry Kane.

“The whole USG squad is has the approximate combined value of 0.5 Harry Kanes.

“Yours in Belgian football …”

Thus far we’ve had goals for Newcastle, Slavia Prague and Atalanta.

The other four matches are goalless, including Bayern Munich v Union Saint Gilloise.

No! Liverpool do NOT lead in Marseille. Hugo Ekitike had the ball in the net but he was offside.

Liverpool lead in Marseille! Michael Butler has the details here:

Kenan Yildiz hammers a shot just wide for Juventus v Benfica. It’s 0-0 there.

I went to a game at the Gewiss Stadium a few years back. Atalanta 0-0 Udinese. Rasmus Højlund was playing. The old town is nice in Bergamo, to be fair.

17 min: Chelsea have a goal ruled out at Stamford Bridge. Fernández heads in at the far post but there was a push somewhere. Rosenior looks far from gruntled on the touchline.

“Hi Luke,” emails Dan. I don’t like the look of this.

“Bayern Munich? Seriously? Please. That’s like Libération suggesting there’s a team called ‘Manchester Unifié’. Either they’re Bayern München or Bavaria Munich. Please, please, please.”

Fascinating stuff!

6 min: Joelinton does well to win the ball back high up the pitch. The crowd roars but the home side can’t fashion a clear chance from it, despite precious few PSV defenders being anywhere to be seen.

5 min: Anthony Gordon lashes a volley over from a tight angle, meeting a cross from the Newcastle right that was half-cleared. Half a chance at best.

Galatasaray 1-1 Atlético and Qarabag 3-2 Eintracht Frankfurt are final scores.

Qarabag are 17th in the table after that excellent win, and in with a shout of making the playoffs.

“I back the team that starts,” says Eddie Howe. “I think we’re in good physical condition to attack the game.

“I think they [PSV] will be very true to themselves. That’s what I admire about them. They will want the ball, play quite an open style. They’ve got some really good technical players … we don’t underestimate them. We know we’ve got to be really good in all aspects of our play today.”

“What a matchday eight it’s shaping up to be next week,” says Lynsey Hipgrave on TNT. Indeed.

The PSV manager, Peter Bosz, has a chat with TNT Sports. Will they adjust to Newcastle’s “power” game at St James’ Park?

“I think both teams have a different way of playing … the team who’s going to win is the team who performs the best with their way of playing.

“We have a way of playing which is always the same. Away, at home. Of course there is an opponent. It depends on the opponent whether we can do it or not.”

PSV are 16 points clear in the Eredivisie. Does that mean they can start to prioritise the Champions League?

“Not at all. I think every tournament for us is important … we have to perform every game, maximum.”

“Just a heads up that, while I would love it to be true, a win tonight for Newcastle doesn’t put us in the last 16,” writes David. “It puts us in the first round of 16, which is really the last 24 (playoffs), to then get into the actual last 16. Two extra matches just what everyone wants right now …”

Silly me. Thanks David.

Thomas Frank was backed into a corner on every level, including team selection. The Tottenham manager had next-to-no options, only 11 established outfield players for the Champions League home game against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night.

The expectation was for an either/or choice between Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie at left-back. But when the teamsheets dropped, it turned out Frank had picked them both and left Randal Kolo Muani on the bench. It was the latest low point for Kolo Muani, who has to be regretting his decision to join on a season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain.

Below the zigzagging contrails that paint the blue Brussels sky, Christian Burgess is reflecting on the latest chapters of his extraordinary journey, those since joining Royale Union Saint‑Gilloise almost six years ago. At the time he felt that his career was at risk of stagnating, but after rummaging Wikipedia to get a handle on the club and learning of their big ambitions, it felt a leap of faith worth taking.

Even so, there is a detectable disbelief at how that decision led him to the Champions League and an unlikely reunion with Harry Kane, with whom he last duelled as an 18-year-old on trial at Tottenham more than 15 years ago. On Wednesday Union play at Bayern Munich in arguably the biggest match in their history, knowing a positive result would keep alive their chances of advancing to the knockout stage.

Thoughts about any of this stuff? Mail me.

The former Chelsea legend* David Luiz.

*There is of course no such thing as a former legend. Once you’re a legend, you’re a legend.

It’s 1-1 in both the matches that kicked off early: Galatasaray v Atlético Madrid and Qarabag v Frankfurt.

Chelsea are 14th in the table as it stands, and after the expected victory tonight against Pafos and the Stamford Bridge alumnus David Luiz, may also force themselves in the reckoning for a top-eight spot.

Yesterday, Liam Rosenior insisted Enzo Fernández will be at Chelsea for the long haul amid interest from such European heavyweights as Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. Jacob Steinberg has the story:

If Newcastle beat PSV, they will secure a spot in the last 16 playoffs, while maintaining faint hope of finishing in the top eight. Will Eddie Howe be smiling come 10pm-ish?