Newcastle Dominates Qarabag in Champions League Play-Off

omidbasir- Newcastle United’s inconsistent performance during the 2025-26 season made their trip to Azerbaijan on Wednesday a potentially challenging one as they aimed to initiate their knockout stage campaign positively.

However, the first half proved to be a decisive display by the visitors, who took the lead in the third minute when Anthony Gordon netted his first goal of the evening with a skillful finish. Malick Thiaw quickly added a header to extend their advantage to 2-0. The hosts faltered significantly just before the half-hour mark.

In the 32nd minute, Gordon confidently converted a penalty, and moments later, he struck again to elevate the scoreline to 4-0. Newcastle was awarded another penalty, and once again, Gordon stepped up to send the ball past the beleaguered goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski.

After halftime, Elvin Jafarquliyev managed to score for Qarabag, but Jacob Murphy sealed the contest with the final goal, concluding the match with a resounding 6-1 victory for Newcastle.

Gordon’s exceptional performance has now placed him alongside England captain Harry Kane in a prestigious group of players, achieving nine or more goals in a single Champions League season. Kane previously set this record with 11 goals last season, and Gordon’s four goals on Wednesday night have earned him a spot in this exclusive club. Despite facing challenges in the Premier League, where he has scored only three times, Gordon’s European exploits have been notably prolific.

His Champions League journey kicked off with a goal in Newcastle’s 2-1 defeat to Barcelona, followed by a brace in a 4-0 victory against Union Saint-Gilloise, and another goal in a 3-0 win over Benfica. After a brief scoring drought, he netted goals in consecutive matches against Bayer Leverkusen and PSV Eindhoven, although he was unable to find the net during a 23-minute substitute appearance in the 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain in the final league phase match.

Gordon’s achievements have also seen him surpass Alan Shearer’s record for the most Champions League goals in a season for Newcastle, as well as the most by an Englishman for an English club in a single campaign.

Additionally, he is only the second player in Champions League history to score four goals in the first half of a match, following Luiz Adriano’s notable performance for Shakhtar Donetsk against BATE Borisov in October 2014.

Following their impressive victory over Qarabag, Newcastle is well-positioned to advance to the last 16 of the Champions League, with the return leg still to come. They will need to maintain their high level of performance in the next round, as they are set to face either Chelsea or Barcelona for a spot in the quarter-finals.

In the meantime, Newcastle will return to Premier League action this weekend, aiming to improve their current tenth-place standing. However, they face a formidable challenge against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday night. The Magpies have struggled historically in away matches against City, with their last victory there occurring in 2014 during a 2-0 League Cup win. Their last Premier League success against City dates back to the year 2000, when Alan Shearer scored the decisive goal.