Newcastle Vs Qarabag Fk — How rotation, a Murphy debut and Qarabağ's fight reshaped the last-16 picture

Newcastle Vs Qarabag Fk mattered most for the squad members who rarely start and for Qarabağ's travelling camp, both of whom felt immediate consequences at St. James' Park. Newcastle completed a 3-2 win (9-3 aggregate) to seal progression in the Champions League play-offs for a last-16 spot, while Alex Murphy made his first Champions League start — a meaningful opportunity for a 21-year-old who has mostly come off the bench.

Newcastle Vs Qarabag Fk: who felt the impact immediately

Here’s the part that matters: fringe players were given a stage and Qarabağ’s resilience turned a comfortable tie into a more contested evening. The decision to rotate the side handed minutes to Aaron Ramsdale in goal, Jacob and Alex Murphy, Nick Woltemade and William Osula, and left Anthony Gordon on the bench despite his four goals in Azerbaijan and his 25th birthday. That mix altered match rhythm and gave several players a direct knock-on effect for season momentum and selection debates.

What’s easy to miss is how travel and scheduling shaped Qarabağ’s performance: they did not arrive on Tyneside until 11pm on Monday and were due to board a six-hour flight straight back after the final whistle, across a four-hour time difference. Those facts help explain why the visitors showed both early nerves and later fight.

Match snapshot and key moments

• Final score: Newcastle 3-2 Qarabag (9-3 aggregate). Kick-off listed at 8: 00pm GMT, at St. James' Park, Strawberry Place, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 4ST.
• Early burst: Sandro Tonali opened in the fourth minute after Qarabağ goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski parried a William Osula header into Tonali’s path. Minutes later Harvey Barnes crossed and Joelinton volleyed Newcastle’s second.
• Qarabağ response: Camilo Duran (also shown as Camilo Durán in other references) pulled one back after half-time, skipping away from Dan Burn and finishing past Aaron Ramsdale.
• Botman restored Newcastle’s margin with a header from a Kieran Trippier corner.
• Late reaction: Qarabağ were awarded a penalty when Dan Burn handled in the box; Aaron Ramsdale saved Marko Jankovic’s spot-kick, but Cəfərquliyev (also rendered Elvin Jafarguliyev/Elvin Cafarguliyev in some accounts) scored from the rebound.

Line-up choices, rotations and the Murphy moment

Alex Murphy made his full Newcastle United bow at left-back. The 21-year-old Republic of Ireland under-21 international had previously made six appearances, all from the bench, with four of those coming this season. His debut as a substitute came against Chelsea in November 2023; since then his bench appearances included two further league outings, two in the Carabao Cup and one in the FA Cup, and he spent the second half of last season on loan at Bolton Wanderers.

Team configuration named for the match was: Aaron Ramsdale; Kieran Trippier (captain); Sven Botman; Joelinton; Sandro Tonali; Harvey Barnes; William Osula; Jacob Murphy; Nick Woltemade; Dan Burn; Alex Murphy. Substitutes listed were Nick Pope, John Ruddy, Aidan Harris, Lewis Hall, Yoane Wissa, Anthony Gordon, Anthony Elanga, Joe Willock, Leo Shahar and Sean Neave. Three keepers — Pope, Ruddy and Aidan Harris — were on the bench, Sean Neave had made his debut late in the first leg and Leo Shahar was on standby for a potential Magpies bow. Jacob Murphy marked his 251st appearance and was noted as having scored the final goal in last week’s tie; the same account notes he is 31 today.

There is a factual divergence in coverage over how many changes Eddie Howe made from the team narrowly beaten at Manchester City at the weekend: one account says six changes were made, another says seven. That point is unclear in the provided context and should be treated as developing rather than settled.

Wider Champions League ripple effects

Other second-leg results mentioned alongside the tie: Inter lost 1-2 at home to Bodo (2-5 aggregate) — Hauge put the visitors ahead, Evjen doubled the lead and Bastoni replied for Inter. Bayer Leverkusen drew 0-0 with Olympiacos but progressed 2-0 on aggregate and will face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the last 16. Atletico Madrid beat Club Brugge to set up a tie with either Liverpool or Spurs. More play-off second-leg action was scheduled at 18: 30 GMT on Wednesday for four further ties.

Alex Murphy has shared his reaction to making his Champions League debut; coverage of the night also included a live "watch & listen" option for fans and closed with a note of thanks for readers' comments.

Quick takeaways and next signals

• Newcastle’s progression is settled (9-3 aggregate) but rotation has opened selection questions for domestic matches.
• Qarabağ left St. James' Park with morale from a spirited rally despite travel strain and will return home after a heavy first-leg defeat.
• The real question now is whether fringe players who started — notably Alex Murphy and Nick Woltemade — translate this game-time into regular domestic minutes; increased involvement would be signalled by subsequent starting nods in league line-ups.

It’s easy to overlook, but the combination of heavy first-leg scoreline, late arrival and immediate outbound travel for Qarabağ shaped both the tactics on the night and the visitors’ late fightback. Coverage records Kevin Medina kneeling on the turf and praying before kick-off, a small but vivid detail from Qarabağ’s preparation that underlines how much was at stake for their players on a demanding trip.

Coverage closed for this instalment, with more Champions League action listed at 18: 30 GMT on Wednesday for four additional second-leg ties.