Newcastle United advance to Champions League last 16 with dominant win
Newcastle United secured their place in the Champions League last 16 with a commanding 9-3 aggregate victory over Qarabag, reports BritPanorama.
The team, managed by Eddie Howe, had already established a strong advantage with a remarkable 6-1 victory in Azerbaijan last week and quickly added to their tally at St James’ Park.
Sandro Tonali opened the scoring with his first Champions League goal just four minutes into the match, capitalising on a parried header from Qarabag’s goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski. Harvey Barnes soon made it 2-0, delivering a perfect cross that Joelinton volleyed into the net.
Despite fielding a rotated squad, Newcastle maintained the momentum from their previous encounter. Sven Botman restored a seven-goal aggregate lead by nodding in from a Kieran Trippier corner. Yet, Qarabag, the Azerbaijani champions, rallied to test Newcastle’s resolve.
Camilo Duran provided a glimmer of hope for the visitors after the break, skillfully navigating past Dan Burn and finishing past goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, much to the delight of the travelling fans who had made a 2,500-mile journey. Although Burn conceded a penalty later in the match, Ramsdale saved Marko Jankovic’s initial attempt, but Elvin Cafarguliyev managed to net the rebound, marking a spirited effort from the underdogs.
Newcastle will learn their last 16 opponents in the draw scheduled for Friday at 11:00 GMT, with potential matchups against Barcelona or Chelsea on the horizon. Winger Jacob Murphy expressed confidence about the next stage: “It was job done. We had to come in today with a professional head. You could see that the tie wasn’t done until it was all over. We made hard work of it at times but we got off to a flying start and the damage was done then,” he noted.
When asked if he preferred Barcelona or Chelsea in the next round, Murphy remained unfazed: “Anyone. Honestly, with this group of players, we’ll take anyone on, especially with knockout football we back ourselves. Bring on whoever’s to come.”
As Newcastle’s European campaign unfolds, the excitement surrounding their potential matchups highlights the competitive spirit of knockout football, reminding us all of the unpredictable nature of the tournament.
