Newcastle United return to the comfort of St James’ Park to face Qarabagh FK in the second leg of the Champions League play-offs.
There will be glory on Tyneside later tonight but there is little danger.
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The Magpies beat the visitors 6-1 in the first leg in Azerbaijan before returning home to complete their Champions League play-off tie with Qarabag.
Eddie Howe’s side were brutal away from home. They turned the game into a one-sided contest over 90 minutes, with Anthony Gordon dominating the game.
While Gordon has struggled to make any real impact in the Premier League, he has been a different beast in the Champions League this season.
The England international’s performance will go down in history as the first Newcastle player to score four goals in a single Champions League game.
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He also recorded the fastest hat-trick by an English player in the Champions League, taking his tally to 10 in Europe’s top competition.
Malik Thiaw and Jacob Murphy added their names to the scoresheet as Newcastle beat their opponents with pace and precision.
Having done their job in Azerbaijan, Newcastle will throw it at St James’ Park.
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Howe may take the opportunity to give a number of his heavyweights a breather in tonight’s midweek match, meaning the Magpies are likely to welcome Qarabag with a second-string squad.
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Aaron Ramsdale should replace Nick Pope in goal, while Sven Botman and Alex Murphy, both about to make their Champions League debuts, will be included in the eleven to partner Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn in defense.
Joelinton is also likely to return to the starting XI, replacing Jacob Ramsey, with Sandro Tonali and Joe Willock reprising their midfield roles.
Qarabag are expected to face a new front line, with Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy providing support for forward William Osura.
