Newcastle United are set to welcome Qarabag FK to St. James’ Park this Tuesday evening for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Knockout stage playoff. The Magpies hold a commanding 6-1 advantage from their initial encounter in Azerbaijan, putting them in a strong position.
Where to Watch
Fans in the UK can catch the game live on Tuesday via TNT Sports and Amazon Prime. In the U.S., Paramount+ will carry the broadcast, while SonyLIV is the platform for India, and Stan Sport for Australia. Additionally, ESPN will provide real-time updates of the match.
Match Essentials
Kick-off time: Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 8.00 p.m. GMT (3 p.m. ET; 1.30 a.m. IST and 7.00 p.m. AEDT, Wednesday)
Venue: St. James’ Park, Newcastle
Referee: Davide Massa (Italy)
VAR: Daniele Chiffi (Italy)
Squad Updates
Newcastle United
Emil Krafth, Defender: knee injury, UNAVAILABLE
Fabian Schär, Defender: ankle issue, UNAVAILABLE
Tino Livramento, Defender: hamstring strain, UNAVAILABLE
Bruno Guimarães, Midfielder: muscle problem, UNAVAILABLE
Lewis Miley, Midfielder: knee injury, UNAVAILABLE
Yoane Wissa, Forward: minor knock, UNAVAILABLE
Sven Botman, Defender: back concern, QUESTIONABLE
Qarabag
Shahrudin Mahammadaliyev, Goalkeeper: QUESTIONABLE
Discussion Points
Anthony Gordon‘s Historic Outing
While he might not feature prominently (or at all) in Tuesday’s fixture, it’s worth revisiting the extraordinary performance in Baku that effectively sealed this tie. Here are the remarkable statistics from that display:
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Scoring at just 2 minutes and 2 seconds, Anthony Gordon’s goal stands as Newcastle’s quickest ever in UCL history, surpassing the previous best of two goals in the fifth minute from 2003 (Shola Ameobi and Alan Shearer).
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Gordon’s 10 Champions League goals this season mark the second-highest tally by an Englishman in a single UCL campaign.
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He is the first English player to achieve a hat-trick in the UCL Knockout Stage.
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In a stunning 33 minutes, Anthony Gordon secured the fastest hat-trick ever by an English player, and by any player representing an English club.
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Gordon became only the third player to net a hat-trick on their debut in the UCL KO stages, following Valencia’s Gerard in April 2000 (vs Lazio) and Liverpool’s Sadio Mané in February 2018 (vs Porto).
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He was the second player, and the first in the UCL Knockout Stage, to score four goals in the first half of a UEFA Champions League game. Luiz Adriano previously achieved this in the 2014-15 Group Stage for Shakhtar Donetsk against BATE Borisov.
Newcastle United: Freedom to Experiment
Given their substantial first-leg advantage, Eddie Howe can approach this match with a degree of tactical freedom. This presents an excellent opportunity to manage his squad, help attackers regain their scoring touch, and even blood promising talent from the academy if he chooses.
Perhaps a starting berth for William Osula? A chance for Joelinton to build match fitness? A well-deserved rest for the seemingly fatigued Sandro Tonali? Can Anthony Elanga finally find his scoring touch? Or could young Sean Neave get more than a brief cameo?
The Conundrum of Anthony Elanga
Since his high-profile move from Nottingham Forest, where he boasted six goals and 12 assists in his last season, Anthony Elanga’s performances for Newcastle have largely underwhelmed. Across 37 appearances in all competitions this season, Elanga has managed just two assists and a solitary goal (a consolation in the EFL Cup against Manchester City). More concerning is his apparent hesitation and lack of directness with the ball, a stark contrast to his impactful days at Forest.
While Eddie Howe has often pointed to Aleksander Isak’s absence as a factor in his attack’s struggles, this reasoning holds less weight as the season progresses. Elanga is among the Newcastle United forwards who must significantly elevate their game.
Addressing Bruno Guimarães’ Short-Term Absence
Though perhaps not a primary concern for this specific match, experimenting with different midfield combinations on Tuesday could inadvertently reveal solutions to the challenge of replacing Bruno Guimarães. Guimarães is the linchpin of Newcastle’s operations, a major force behind their success since his arrival. However, no team can afford such a profound reliance on a single player’s output.
An impactful Champions League Knockout stage performance from another player could potentially set the stage for someone to step into that vital midfield role, at least temporarily.
Qarabag’s Journey Beyond the 6-1 Scoreline
For the Azerbaijani club, their presence at this stage transcends the result of that harsh first-leg defeat. It signifies a remarkable achievement: ‘we are here.’ They stand as only the second Azerbaijani club to reach the group stages of any UEFA competition (2014-15 Europa League), the first to reach the UEFA Champions League group stages (2016-17), and now the pioneer in advancing to a Champions League knockout round.
Considering they outperformed teams like Napoli, Benfica, Marseille, PSV, Athletic Bilbao, Ajax, and Villarreal in their group stages, one truly begins to grasp the magnitude of Qarabag’s accomplishments.