Newcastle United Reach Champions League Last 16 After 3-2 Second Leg Victory Over Qarabag

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Newcastle United moved into the Champions League last 16 after a 3-2 home win over Qarabag, completing a 9-3 aggregate victory at St. James' Park. The tie was already heavily in Newcastle's favour from the first leg, yet Eddie Howe's side still needed focus to see off a lively visiting team.

The second leg featured an explosive start and a stubborn reply from Qarabag. Sandro Tonali struck in the fourth minute after Sven Botman's header was parried into the penalty area, then Joelinton volleyed in Harvey Barnes' deep cross barely 80 seconds later. Qarabag responded after half-time, while Newcastle restored control with another Botman goal.

Qarabag came back into the contest five minutes after the restart, when Camilo Duran latched onto Joni Montiel's clever flick and beat Aaron Ramsdale at the near post. Newcastle reacted quickly, as Botman climbed above the defence to meet Kieran Trippier's corner with a powerful header, restoring a two-goal cushion on the night.

The visitors refused to concede the evening, and pressure brought a penalty in the 57th minute after Dan Burn handled inside the box. Marko Jankovic saw the spot-kick saved by Ramsdale, but Elvin Cafarquliyev followed up to score the rebound. Barnes then drew a strong stop from Mateusz Kochalski, while Musa Qurbanli tested Ramsdale late on.

The decisive work was done in Azerbaijan, where Newcastle recorded a 6-1 success in the first leg. Anthony Gordon produced four goals in that match, giving Howe's team a commanding position before returning to Tyneside. Qarabag still approached the second leg with ambition, yet the aggregate score left Newcastle with margin to manage the game.

Newcastle's rapid opening at St. James' Park continued a recent trend involving English clubs in the competition. It was the third Champions League match since the start of last season where a side led 2-0 inside six minutes. The other instances involved Aston Villa against Celtic in January and Liverpool versus Atletico Madrid in September.

Newcastle United Champions League numbers and attacking output

Newcastle created the better chances overall, reflected in the expected goals figures. Howe's team produced an xG of 2.78 from 19 attempts, compared with Qarabag's 1.3 from 13 shots. The hosts balanced early attacking intent with spells of control, while Qarabag relied on quicker breaks and set-piece situations to threaten Ramsdale's goal.

Newcastle now stand as the Champions League's highest scorers in the 2025-26 campaign. Their three goals in this match took the total to 26, two more than Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, who share second place. That return underlines Newcastle's attacking strength in Europe, with multiple contributors across the forward and midfield lines.

The club highlighted the achievement on social media, sharing the progress to the knockout stage with supporters.

Key match statistics further emphasised Newcastle's control during most phases of the contest.

The final whistle confirmed a 3-2 victory on the night and a 9-3 aggregate success that reflected Newcastle's superiority across both legs. Qarabag's spirited efforts at St. James' Park kept the contest competitive, yet Newcastle's early goals, greater attacking depth and defensive resilience ensured safe passage into the Champions League round of 16.