Newcastle Vs Qarabag Fk — newcastle vs qarabag fk ends 3-2 (9-3 agg) at St James' Park
Newcastle Vs Qarabag Fk finished 3-2 at St James' Park as Newcastle progressed 9-3 on aggregate in the Champions League play-off for a last-16 spot. The tie featured early strikes from Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, a Camilo Duran reply and a late scramble from Elvin Cəfərquliyev/Elvin Cafarguliyev after a saved spot-kick.
Early fireworks and Tonali details
Sandro Tonali opened the scoring very early. One account places the opener in the fourth minute after Qarabağ goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski could only parry William Osula's header into the path of Tonali, who netted his first ever goal in the competition. A different account notes Tonali netted in the third minute. Seconds after that initial strike, Harvey Barnes drilled the ball across goal and the unmarked Joelinton fired home expertly on the volley to make it two on the night and extend Newcastle's advantage in the tie.
Newcastle Vs Qarabag Fk match timeline
With the Magpies already 6-1 ahead overall following a 6-1 rout in Azerbaijan the previous week, Newcastle started much-changed and raced into an early two-goal lead. William Osula had seen his effort saved before the first Tonali finish, and Joelinton later tested goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski again when he tried his luck in the 17th minute, but Kochalski was equal to that attempt.
Qarabağ fightback and Durán goal
Qarabağ, the Azerbaijan Premier League champions, rallied after half-time. Camilo Duran/ Camilo Durán skipped away from Dan Burn and finished clinically past Aaron Ramsdale to give the travelling support a moment to remember after their mammoth journey. The visitors continued to test Newcastle, with Elvin Cəfərquliyev forcing a save from Ramsdale in the 30th minute earlier and later reacting to a rebound to score after a penalty sequence.
Penalty sequence and Botman header
Sven Botman restored Newcastle’s lead on the night when he headed Kieran Trippier's right-wing corner beyond Kochalski to make it 3-1. Shortly after Botman’s header he came off almost immediately as part of a triple substitution. Dan Burn was penalised for handball in the 56th minute; Aaron Ramsdale kept out a spot-kick, with the penalty taker named in different accounts as Marko Jankovic and Joni Montiel, but Elvin Cəfərquliyev/Elvin Cafarguliyev was quickest to react to knock in the follow-up.
Debuts, substitutions and reaction
Howe made six changes to the side that had been narrowly beaten at Manchester City at the weekend. Alex Murphy came into the side for his full debut and his first outing in the Champions League; late on there was a Newcastle debut for teenage full-back Leo Shahar. Nick Woltemade spun and played in Jacob Murphy, who on his 31st birthday drilled wide. Sven Botman left the field quickly as part of a triple change. Newcastle have won four of their last five matches in all competitions.
Manager quotes and next opponents
Eddie Howe reflected on the victory: "It's a massive achievement from us to get to the last 16. Nothing was given to us at the start of this Champions League run. We've really enjoyed it, and then coming to the pressure game, the double-header, I think we've navigated that really well. " Howe added that going 2-0 up so early created a "dangerous feeling" and that "you have to give Qarabağ credit, they made it difficult for us to play" but stressed the importance of the win. He also said, "I don't care who you play at this stage, it's a tough draw, and we did the majority of the work in the away game. We've come through really well. " He added optimism about the next round: "Whoever we get in the next round will be an amazing tie for us. I believe that we can raise our game and compete with anybody. "
Other play-off results and schedule
Elsewhere in the play-offs, Inter lost 1-2 to Bodo (2-5 on aggregate) with Hauge putting the visitors in front, Evjen doubling the lead and Bastoni replying for Inter. Atletico Madrid beat Club Brugge to set up a tie with either Liverpool or Spurs. Bayer Leverkusen drew 0-0 with Olympiacos (2-0 agg) and will face Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the last 16. The live coverage page noted it would return at 18: 30 GMT on Wednesday for four more play-off second-leg ties and thanked readers for joining and for their comments.
Ciaran Kelly, reporting at St James' Park, wrote that "Newcastle United cruised into the last 16" while noting Qarabağ gave a much better account of themselves than in the first leg. The match finished Newcastle 3-2 Qarabağ, 9-3 on aggregate.
Unclear in the provided context: the precise content of Alex Murphy's post-match reaction beyond the fact he shared one.
Closing: Newcastle progress to the Champions League last 16 after a 3-2 win at St James' Park and a 9-3 aggregate victory over Qarabağ; a two-legged tie against Barcelona or Chelsea now awaits.
