Gordon shines as Newcastle thrashes Qarabag in Champions League
Anthony Gordon delivered an absolutely sensational performance in Azerbaijan, netting four times as Newcastle United thrashed Qarabag 6-1 in their Champions League last 16 play-off first leg, reports BritPanorama.
The night marked a historic feat for the Magpies, who recorded their biggest ever victory in European competition at the Tofig Bahramov Republican Stadium. Gordon’s stunning display saw him surpass club legend Alan Shearer to become Newcastle’s all-time leading scorer in the Champions League.
The Azerbaijani champions, previously having held Chelsea to a draw and beaten Benfica, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Copenhagen, simply could not cope with Newcastle’s relentless attacking threat. Gordon wasted no time, finding the net just two minutes in by latching onto a brilliant through ball from centre-back Dan Burn and slotting coolly past Mateusz Kochalski.
Moments later, Malick Thiaw rose highest to head home from Kieran Trippier’s inviting cross, leaving Qarabag reeling. Gordon subsequently converted a spot kick after Harvey Barnes’ effort struck Matheus Silva’s arm, with Kochalski getting a hand to it but unable to keep out the powerful strike.
Remarkably, Gordon grabbed his third right from the restart, pouncing on Kevin Medina’s sloppy play before rounding the goalkeeper. His fourth came from another penalty after Kochalski fouled him inside the box, though it appeared to cause friction with club captain Kieran Trippier.
Qarabag showed some fight after the interval, with defender Elvin Cafarquliyev pulling one back from a tight angle to give the home supporters something to cheer about. However, any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished when Jacob Murphy, coming off the bench, found the net with a deflected long-range effort, restoring Newcastle’s commanding five-goal cushion and leaving the tie all but settled heading into next week’s second leg at St James’ Park.
Newcastle’s dominance in the first half proved too much for the Azerbaijani side, who never truly recovered from the early onslaught. Eddie Howe was absolutely delighted with what he witnessed, telling TNT Sports: “A tribute to the team today. We were really good in the first half. That’s as good as we have played in a long time.” The Newcastle boss remained cautious despite the emphatic scoreline, adding: “We know the tie isn’t dead or over but we are in a great position.”
On Gordon’s performance, Howe stated: “He was really good in that first half. He started the press; a number of his goals came from his attitude off the ball. He could have had more, but a very good display.” Gordon’s performance not only highlighted his talents but also underscored Newcastle’s potential, sending a clear message across Europe about their ambitions in this season’s Champions League.
