Qarabag FK 1-6 Newcastle United

Newcastle United produced a dominant display in the UEFA Champions League, securing a commanding first-leg advantage against Qarabag FK in Azerbaijan.

By Liam Rafferty

The visitors wasted no time in taking control of the contest. Anthony Gordon, deployed as a makeshift striker, opened the scoring in just the third minute. Dan Burn threaded a perfectly weighted through ball into Gordon’s path, and he calmly slotted past Mateusz Kochalski to give Newcastle the ideal start.

The Magpies doubled their lead five minutes later. Kieran Trippier delivered an inviting cross into the penalty area, and Malick Thiaw rose highest to power a header into the net.

On the half-hour mark, Newcastle were awarded a penalty following a handball inside the Qarabag box. Gordon stepped up confidently and converted from the spot to make it three.

Just a minute later, Gordon completed his hat-trick. Nervous defending straight from kick-off allowed him to break through one-on-one with Kochalski, round the goalkeeper, and roll the ball into an empty net.

Before half-time, Newcastle were awarded a second penalty after Gordon was brought down inside the area. The winger once again stepped up and made no mistake, extending the lead to five before the interval.

Qarabag pulled a goal back in the 54th minute through Elvin Jafarquliyev. The full-back finished neatly, leaving Nick Pope with little chance.

However, Newcastle restored their five-goal cushion in the 72nd minute when substitute Jacob Murphy added the sixth, capping off an emphatic performance.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe’s side entered the fixture full of confidence following a 3–1 FA Cup victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park, and they carried that momentum into this European encounter.

Qarabag had made an impressive start to their Champions League campaign, recording notable wins over Benfica and FC Copenhagen, and securing a play-off spot despite mixed results in later fixtures. However, their struggles against English opposition continued as Newcastle proved clinical and composed throughout.

Attention now turns to the second leg at St James’ Park on Tuesday, where Newcastle will look to finish the job and secure progression to the next round.