Newcastle United vs Qarabag – Match preview and team news
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Newcastle United return to St. James’ Park on Tuesday for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off, standing on the brink of a historic place in the last 16.
The Magpies essentially settled the tie in Azerbaijan last week with a clinical 6–1 victory at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium. Anthony Gordon produced a performance for the ages, becoming the first Englishman to score a hat-trick in the knockout phase and only the 18th player in history to bag four goals in a single Champions League match. Holding a massive five-goal advantage, Eddie Howe’s side is now looking to secure a club-record sixth victory in a single Champions League edition.
Qarabag, meanwhile, faces a daunting 2,529-mile trip to the North East of England with history firmly against them. The Azeri side has been beaten in all five of their previous visits to English soil by a combined score of 19–1. While their groundbreaking campaign saw them finish above major European names like Napoli and Benfica in the league phase, the “Horsemen” have conceded six goals in each of their last two Champions League fixtures and are purely fighting for dignity on Tuesday night.
Newcastle United vs Qarabag – Match preview and team news
- Date: Tuesday, 24 February 2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
- Venue: St. James’ Park, Newcastle
- Referee: Espen Eskås (NOR)
- VAR: Rob Dieperink (NED)
- Last Meeting: Qarabag 1–6 Newcastle (18 Feb 2026), Champions League
Team News
Newcastle United
Eddie Howe must balance squad rotation with maintaining rhythm. Defender Malick Thiaw is suspended after picking up his third yellow card of the competition. Notably, Bruno Guimarães, Emil Krafth, Fabian Schär, and Tino Livramento are all ruled out. However, Sven Botman, Yoane Wissa, and Lewis Miley will all be assessed ahead of kick-off and could return to the squad.
Qarabag
The visitors suffered a significant blow in the first leg as experienced defender Bahlul Mustafazada was forced off with an adductor injury; he is expected to be sidelined for up to 12 weeks. Dani Bolt is the likely replacement. Scorer of the first-leg consolation goal, Elvin Cafarquliyev, is expected to start at left-back, while forward Camilo Durán leads the line as he seeks his fifth goal of the campaign.
Form
Newcastle United
The Magpies have been sensational in European competition this term, winning five of their nine Champions League games. Notably, Newcastle have now scored in 11 consecutive Champions League fixtures, a streak bettered only by Bayern Munich (15). While they suffered a narrow 2–1 defeat to Manchester City at the weekend, their European momentum remains high. Notably, of the 91 previous occasions where a team won a first leg by 5+ goals, all 91 have progressed.
Qarabag
Despite their defensive struggles—conceding 27 goals in nine matches—Qarabag’s season remains historic as the first Azerbaijani club to reach the Champions League knockout rounds. However, they are winless in 10 attempts against English clubs in major European competition, losing nine of those contests. Notably, they are one of only three sides this century to concede 6+ goals in consecutive Champions League games.
Predicted Lineups
Newcastle United Predicted XI: Pope; Trippier, Botman, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Willock, Barnes; Elanga, Woltemade, Gordon
Qarabag Predicted XI: Kochalski; Silva, Mustafazada, Medina, Cafarquliyev; Bicalho, Jankovic; Montiel, Andrade, Zoubir; Durán
How to Watch Newcastle United vs Qarabag?
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video.
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