In an emotional and highly-charged atmosphere in the north east, Eddie Howe’s side roared into a three-goal lead as boyhood Newcastle fans Dan Burn and Sean Longstaff found the net either side of half-time following Miguel Almiron’s early opener.
PSG pulled one back through Lucas Hernandez, but the hosts showed impressive resilience to hold off a fight back, sealing a historic victory when Schar fired a brilliant effort into the top corner to send the home fans into dreamland.
The victory, over a side who reached the final of the competition only three years ago, was Newcastle’s biggest-ever in the Champions League and made even more impressive by the fact they were without key players Sven Botman, Callum Wilson and Joelinton.
PSG boss Luis Enrique started Kylian Mbappe as part of a four-pronged attack but Newcastle limited the 24-year-old to only one shot on goal on an unforgettable night for the club which serves as a statement of intent on their return to Europe’s top table.
Howe had called on his players to use “controlled emotion” on a monumental night for the club and that is precisely what they did, remaining calm after Ousmane Dembele had volleyed Mbappe’s early cross inches wide, then taking control.
PSG’s plan was to invite Newcastle’s press in order to exploit the space behind them, but it backfired spectacularly when Bruno Guimaraes cut out a loose Marquinhos pass for the opening goal.
The Brazilian’s headed interception fell to Alexander Isak, whose shot on the swivel was parried by Gianluigi Donnarumma, but Almiron was there to guide the rebound into the bottom corner, prompting an explosion of celebration inside the ground.
PSG attempted to muster a response, with Warren Zaire-Emery firing a long-range effort wide, but their 4-2-4 system left them completely outnumbered in midfield and soon they were being overrun.
The second goal, powered over the line by Burn from Guimaraes’ chipped cross following a Kieran Trippier free-kick, was awarded after a three-minute VAR check, with the officials first checking for offside and then a possible handball by Jamal Lascelles.
The delay only made the subsequent celebrations more pronounced and Newcastle’s evening got even better soon after half-time when Longstaff ran onto a Trippier pass and released an angled shot which Donnarumma was unable to stop.
PSG looked shell-shocked at that point but they hit back when Zaire-Emery’s chipped pass was headed beyond Nick Pope by Hernandez, the goal briefly giving the visitors hope of a turnaround.
But Newcastle, having kept five consecutive clean sheets in the lead-up to the game, again showed formidable resilience.
After PSG had struggled to carve out chances, Schar stole possession high up the pitch, exchanged passes with substitute Jacob Murphy, and fired an unstoppable shot into the top corner to seal an extraordinary win.
