Anthony Gordon Could Have Had More As Newcastle Rout Qarabag In Champions League Playoff

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Newcastle United took a commanding step toward the Champions League round of 16, beating Qarabag 6-1 away in the play-off first leg, as Anthony Gordon hit four goals in a ruthless first-half display that put Eddie Howe's side in full control before the return at St. James' Park.

By half-time Newcastle were already 5-0 ahead, with Gordon scoring four times and converting two penalties, while Malick Thiaw struck the opener in the eighth minute. Jacob Murphy added the sixth late on, leaving Qarabag needing a historic response in the second leg to threaten Newcastle's strong aggregate advantage.

Gordon's haul moves the forward to 10 Champions League goals this season, making Gordon Newcastle's leading scorer in the competition ahead of Alan Shearer, who previously held the club best with six. Gordon is also only the second English player to reach double figures in a single Champions League campaign, after Harry Kane’s 11 goals in 2024-25.

The four first-half strikes mean Gordon became just the second player in Champions League history to score four goals before the interval of a match. The only earlier instance came when Luiz Adriano did so for Shakhtar Donetsk against BATE Borisov in October 2014, underlining the scale of this latest individual performance.

Newcastle's superiority before the break also carried a wider historical note, as Howe's team became only the second side to lead a Champions League knockout stage tie by at least five goals at half-time. The previous case came when Bayern Munich were 5-0 up against Porto in a quarter-final in April 2015.

Howe highlighted the way Gordon influenced the contest without the ball, noting the forward's defensive work as a trigger for attacks that Qarabag struggled to read. "He was really good in that first half," Howe said of Gordon on TNT Sports. "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."

Newcastle's attacking threat across the full 90 minutes was also reflected in the expected goals data, with the visitors generating 5.4 xG, which is the second-highest figure recorded in this season's Champions League. Only Liverpool, who posted 5.9 xG in an earlier match against Qarabag, have created more in a single game so far.

Newcastle vs Qarabag: Key numbers from the first leg

Gordon attempted six shots during the match, with every effort hitting the target, underlining how difficult Qarabag found closing down Newcastle’s main threat. The visitors' six goals came from three different scorers and gave Howe a margin that history suggests should be enough to reach the next round.

Across European Cup and Champions League history, all 91 teams that scored at least five goals in the first leg of a two-legged tie have progressed. That trend gives Newcastle extra confidence, though Howe continued to stress the need for focus, with the second leg still to come on Tyneside.

Howe felt Qarabag's approach after the interval checked Newcastle's earlier rhythm, as the home side adjusted shape and retreated deeper. "We wanted to keep the momentum in the second half," he continued. "The game changed, and they played lower on the pitch, which made it more difficult for us. Overall, it's a great day for us. We know the tie isn't dead or over, but we are in a great position."

The head coach also praised the whole side for the standard reached before the break, describing the first 45 minutes as a benchmark for future ties in Europe and domestically. "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," Howe concluded.