Newcastle United return to St James’ Park on Tuesday for the second leg of the Champions League play-offs, on the verge of a historic run into the last 16.
Last week, the Magpies beat Azerbaijan 6-1 at the Tofik Bahramov Stadium, basically sealing the victory. Anthony Gordon created a lasting performance, becoming the first Englishman to score a hat-trick in the knockout stages and the 18th player in history to score four goals in a single Champions League game. Eddie Howe’s side have a huge five-goal advantage and are now looking to claim a club-record sixth win in a single Championship.
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Qarabagh, meanwhile, face an arduous journey 2,529 miles into northeast England, with history working against them. Azerbaijan’s previous five visits to the UK have been defeated by a total score of 19-1. While their groundbreaking season has put them ahead of major European sides such as Napoli and Benfica in the league stage, the Cavaliers have conceded six goals in each of their last two Champions League games and played purely for dignity on Tuesday night.
Newcastle United vs Qarabag – Match preview and team news
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Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2026
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Venue: St James’ Park, Newcastle
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Referee: Espen Eskås (Norway)
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Last match: Qarabag 1-6 Newcastle (February 18, 2026), Champions League
Team News
Newcastle United
Eddie Howe must strike a balance between rotating the team and maintaining pace. Defender Malik Thiaw was suspended after receiving his third yellow card of the game. Notably, Bruno Guimarães, Emile Kraft, Fabian Schaal and Tino Liveramento have all been left out. However, Sven Botman, Eoin Visa and Lewis Miley will all be assessed ahead of kick-off and could return to the squad.
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karabagh
The visitors suffered a heavy blow in the first leg when experienced defender Barul Mustafazada was forced off with an adductor injury. He is expected to be out for up to 12 weeks. Danny Bolt is the likely replacement. First-leg consolation scorer Erwin Kafarkuliyev is expected to start at left-back, with forward Camilo Duran leading the line in search of his fifth goal of the season.
form
Newcastle United
The Magpies have been in fine form in Europe this season, winning five of nine Champions League games. It is worth noting that Newcastle United has scored in 11 consecutive Champions League games, a record second only to Bayern Munich (15 games). Their European momentum remains strong despite their narrow 2-1 defeat to Manchester City at the weekend. It is worth noting that there have been 91 previous first-leg matches where teams have won by five or more goals, and all 91 times teams have advanced.
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karabagh
Despite their defensive struggles – conceding 27 goals in nine games – Qarabag’s season remains historic as the first Azerbaijani club to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League. However, they are winless in 10 attempts against English clubs in Europe’s major competitions, losing nine of them. It is worth noting that they are one of only three teams this century to concede more than 6 goals in consecutive Champions League games.
Predicted lineup
Newcastle United predicted XI: Pope; Trippier, Boatman, Byrne, Hall; Tonali, Willock, Barnes; Elanga, Waltermade, Gordon
Qarabag predicted XI: Koharski; Silva, Mustafazada, Medina, Kafarkuliyev; Bicario, Jankovic; Montiel, Andrade, Zubir; Duran
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How to watch Newcastle United vs Qarabag FC match?
The match will be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video.
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