Newcastle United has soared into the Champions League last 16, but was the victory over Qarabağ as dominant as the aggregate score suggests?
Eddie Howe declared it a "massive achievement" for his Newcastle United side to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League, especially after a campaign where "nothing was given to us." The Magpies secured their place with a 9-3 aggregate win over Qarabağ, a scoreline that certainly speaks volumes. Howe praised his team's navigation of the "pressure game, the double-header," emphasizing that they "did the majority of the work in the away game" to set themselves up for this decisive return leg. He confidently stated, "We've come through really well," and that at this stage of the competition, "it's a tough draw, and I don't care who you play."
Newcastle kicked off the home leg with immediate intent. With a comfortable 6-1 lead already established, Sandro Tonali found the back of the net in just the third minute, extending their overall advantage. Following a saved effort from William Osula, Tonali was on hand to force the ball over the line at the Leazes End. Almost immediately after, Joelinton added another, volleying home from a Harvey Barnes cross, giving Howe's men an even more commanding position on the night.
However, here's where it gets interesting. Despite the early 2-0 lead, head coach Eddie Howe admitted, "The problem we had today was going 2-0 up so early." He elaborated, "It was almost a dangerous feeling for us." He felt that after establishing such a significant lead, his team didn't display the necessary urgency to push for more goals, giving credit to Qarabağ for making it a challenging contest. "There's a lot to reflect and improve on that performance," Howe conceded, "but the most important thing is we won the game."
Qarabağ, to their credit, didn't simply roll over. Joelinton had another attempt in the 17th minute, but Qarabağ's goalkeeper, Mateusz Kochalski, was alert. The visitors continued to press, with Elvin Cafarguliyev forcing a good save from Aaron Ramsdale in the 30th minute. Ramsdale then produced an acrobatic stop to deny Camilo Durán's shot from going over the bar.
Newcastle nearly added a third in spectacular fashion. A moment of brilliance saw Nick Woltemade spin and create an opening for Jacob Murphy, but Murphy, celebrating his 31st birthday, fired just wide. It's worth noting that Alex Murphy made his full debut at St. James' Park, marking his first Champions League appearance, as Howe rotated his squad with six changes from the previous match.
Early in the second half, Qarabağ managed to pull one back. Camilo Durán broke through and scored, sparking celebrations among the away fans and even earning a respectful smattering of applause from the home supporters. But the roar from the Newcastle faithful was considerably louder just a couple of minutes later when Sven Botman met Kieran Trippier's corner with a header, making it 3-1 on the night.
Botman was substituted almost immediately as part of a triple change. Shortly after, Dan Burn was penalized for a handball in the 56th minute. While Aaron Ramsdale saved Joni Montiel's penalty, Elvin Cafarguliyev was quick to pounce on the rebound and score. Abdellah Zoubir then tested Ramsdale again with a brilliant save, and at the other end, Kochalski was busy, denying Harvey Barnes twice.
The night also saw a late Newcastle debut for teenage full-back Leo Shahar. For the Magpies, it was a satisfactory conclusion to the tie, extending their impressive run to four wins in their last five matches across all competitions. This victory sets them up for a mouth-watering two-legged tie in the next round against either Barcelona or Chelsea.
"Whoever we get in the next round will be an amazing tie for us," Howe stated, expressing confidence that his team "can raise our game and compete with anybody." He believes this achievement provides "a massive thing for us to give our season an extra boost."
Newcastle United Starting XI: Aaron Ramsdale, Kieran Trippier (c), Sven Botman, Joelinton, Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes, William Osula, Jacob Murphy, Nick Woltemade, Dan Burn, Alex Murphy.
Substitutions: Lewis Hall, Joe Willock, Anthony Gordon, Yoane Wissa, Leo Shahar.
Did Newcastle show enough killer instinct after going 2-0 up, or was it a typical performance in a game where the result was already largely decided? Share your thoughts below!
