Newcastle United sealed their place in the Champions League Round of 16 for the first time in the club's history on Tuesday night, beating Qarabag FK 3-2 at St James' Park in the knockout phase play-off second leg. Having already demolished the Azerbaijani side 6-1 in the first leg in Baku, where Anthony Gordon scored four goals, the Magpies completed a commanding 9-3 aggregate victory in front of 50,068 supporters. Newcastle now become the sixth Premier League club to reach the last 16 this season, joining Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham.
Eddie Howe's side started the match with electrifying intent, scoring twice within the opening six minutes. Sandro Tonali opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a close-range finish after Sven Botman's header from a corner was pushed into his path by the Qarabag goalkeeper. It marked the earliest goal of Newcastle's Champions League campaign this season. Just two minutes later, Joelinton doubled the lead with a crisp volley from Harvey Barnes' pinpoint cross, effectively ending any lingering hopes of a Qarabag comeback given the enormous first-leg deficit.
Howe took the opportunity to rotate his squad heavily, making seven changes from his regular lineup and giving several fringe players valuable minutes. Among the most notable inclusions was 21-year-old defender Alex Murphy, who made his first senior start for the club. The decision to rest key players ahead of upcoming Premier League fixtures demonstrated Howe's confidence in the depth of his squad, and the young players rewarded their manager with composed performances throughout the evening.
The second half provided considerably more drama. Jhon Duran raced onto Gonzalo Montiel's clever flick in the 50th minute and finished expertly at the near post to pull one back for Qarabag. However, Newcastle responded almost immediately when Botman rose highest to head home in the 52nd minute, restoring the two-goal cushion on the night. Qarabag were then awarded a penalty in the 57th minute, which Marko Jankovic struck well, but Aaron Ramsdale produced a fine save diving to his right. The reprieve was short-lived though, as Abdellah Jafarguliyev pounced on the rebound to make it 3-2.
Howe introduced fresh legs as the match progressed, bringing on Lewis Hall for Kieran Trippier in the 54th minute before sending on first-leg hero Anthony Gordon and Bryan Wissa for Barnes and Osula in the 73rd minute. Newcastle controlled the remainder of the contest comfortably, finishing with 65 percent possession and approximately 18 shots, eight of which were on target. Qarabag managed 12 shots with seven on target, while the expected goals tally of 2.78 to 1.30 reflected Newcastle's overall dominance across the tie.
The historic achievement represents a remarkable milestone for Newcastle United, who now await the Round of 16 draw scheduled for February 27. For Gurban Gurbanov's Qarabag, the European adventure ends after a campaign that saw them outclassed across both legs by a rampant Newcastle side. The Magpies' supporters celebrated long into the Newcastle night, fully aware that their club has entered uncharted territory in European football's premier competition.
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