qarabag fk vs newcastle: Anthony Gordon nets four as visitors rout hosts 6-1

Newcastle produced a crushing 6-1 victory away to Qarabağ in the UEFA Champions League play-off first leg, a result that leaves the tie overwhelmingly one-sided heading into the return. Anthony Gordon ran riot with four goals, while Malick Thiaw and Jacob Murphy also found the net in a dominant display that underlined Newcastle’s firepower.

Gordon stars in stunning first-half onslaught

Gordon was the uncontested headline of the night, scoring four times in a spell that effectively decided the tie well before the second half. The forward’s performance also propelled him past the club’s previous Champions League mark, putting him top of the list of the club’s scorers in the competition. His movement, pace and composure inside the box caused constant problems for Qarabağ’s defence, and his four-goal haul will be remembered as one of the competition’s standout attacking displays this season.

Newcastle’s offensive threat was supplemented by tidy finishing from centre-back Malick Thiaw and substitute Jacob Murphy, who added gloss to the scoreline late on. The visitors struck early and often, combining quick transitions and incisive wide play to punish the hosts on the counter.

Match flow, incidents and tactical takeaways

Kick-off took place at 12: 45pm ET, and Newcastle quickly established control by pressing high and switching play to exploit space on the flanks. Qarabağ made a couple of changes to their usual selection, but that blend of personnel could not blunt the visitors’ tempo. A number of individual duels swung Newcastle’s way — including several successful runs down the left — and those moments repeatedly opened lanes into the penalty area.

There were a few flashpoints in the contest. A first-half yellow card for Malick Thiaw came for a cynical drag-back, and a brief, visible spat between teammates at half-time hinted at the intensity inside the camp. Substitutions were cautious from Newcastle early on: despite being five goals clear at half-time, the manager waited until late in the second half to refresh the side, a decision that drew some bemusement given the fixture congestion clubs face this season.

Qarabağ did show resilience and created moments of threat, notably quick breaks when Newcastle overcommitted in attack. Their route to the play-offs — finishing ahead of several high-profile clubs in the group phase — is a reminder that this was not a one-sided draw on paper, even if the first leg unfolded that way on the pitch.

What the result means for the tie and next steps

With a five-goal cushion heading into the second leg, Newcastle are overwhelmingly favoured to progress to the Champions League last 16 for the first time. The magnitude of the first-leg victory will allow rotation and strategic thinking ahead of domestic fixtures, though the manager will want to keep intensity high and guard against complacency in the return match.

For Qarabağ, the task is now monumental: overturning a five-goal deficit at home will require an exceptional attacking performance combined with a much tighter defensive showing than was produced in this first leg. The visitors will head back with confidence and multiple scoring options to deploy, while the hosts must quickly regroup and rethink their approach if they are to mount any meaningful comeback.

Overall, the match was a statement win for Newcastle — a night defined by one player’s stunning contribution but underpinned by a collective attacking threat that battered the home side from the start. The second leg will largely be a formality unless an unlikely turnaround emerges, but there remains plenty for both camps to analyse ahead of the return.