UEFA Champions League — Chelsea and Newcastle move closer to round 16 with wins

Chelsea increased their chances of a place in the top eight of the Champions League on Wednesday when Moises Caicedo headed home from a corner in the 78th minute to break through a stubborn Pafos defence.

The London side reached eighth place on goal difference with one game remaining – a tough away match against Napoli, led by former boss Antonio Conte.

Chelsea, led by new coach Liam Rosenior in his first Champions League match, had more than 70 percent possession against the well-organized Pafos team.

The Cypriot club had the support of Dutch goalkeeper Jay Gorter, who made a series of excellent saves, including three earlier attempts from Ecuadorian midfielder Caicedo.

His goal from Pedro Neto’s corner finally broke the deadlock and gave Chelsea the chance to progress straight to the knockout rounds of the Champions League.

It was a largely frustrating evening for Chelsea, who needed to win to have a chance of reaching the top eight and had hoped for more goals against the Cypriot champions.

The Blues, winners of the competition in 2012 and 2021, are one of eight teams with 13 points in the table, so goal difference is crucial. Next Wednesday they play against Napoli.

Pafos, who hit the post in the first half after Jaja’s shot rebounded off Chelsea captain Reece James, have dropped to 30th in the table with six points so far.

WISSA BREAKS THE DUCK IN THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Yoane Wissa scored his first Champions League goal as Newcastle United cruised to a 3-0 home win over PSV Eindhoven at St. James’ Park on Wednesday, although the visiting side were the architects of its own demise in a poor defensive display.

Newcastle climbed to seventh place with 13 points from seven games and remain on course for automatic qualification for the last 16. PSV are in 22nd place with eight points and will still have work to do to advance to the knockout phase.

PSV’s hesitation at the back gave Newcastle two goals before half-time, with Wissa scoring the first eight minutes before Anthony. Gordon took advantage of another mistake by the visitors, making the score 2-0 after half an hour.

Newcastle suffered a blow when captain Bruno Guimaraes limped off with an ankle injury just before half-time, but they scored a third goal through Harvey Barnes after 65 minutes in a dominant display against the Dutch champions.

Published on January 22, 2026