Newcastle United vs. Qarabag FK: Eddie Howe's side targeting club record, Champions League history in second leg of playoff tie

By Darren Plant | 23 Feb 2026 12:47

Newcastle targeting club record, Champions League history in Qarabag second leg

Newcastle United can make Champions League history when they face Qarabag FK in the second leg of their playoff tie on Tuesday night.

The Magpies head into the fixture at St James' Park holding a 6-1 advantage from the game in Azerbaijan last week.

Eddie Howe and his players already know that they will face a blockbuster last-16 showdown with Chelsea or Barcelona if they avoid what would need to be at least a five-goal defeat.

Given that a successful Qarabag comeback would represent the biggest turnaround in European football history, Newcastle can play without pressure on Tyneside.

Nevertheless, Howe may be eager to set some club records and make Champions League history in the progress.

How can Newcastle make Champions League history?

As many as 21 years have passed by since Newcastle won a two-legged tie by at least a five-goal winning margin.

That occurred in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup in 2004-05, when they recorded a 7-1 aggregate scoreline over Olympiacos.

Meanwhile, back in 1994-95, Newcastle registered their biggest-ever aggregate triumph, prevailing 10-2 across two legs versus Antwerp in the UEFA Cup.

There is also an opportunity for Newcastle to be part of Champions League history, albeit a consequence of Qarabag's abysmal defensive record.

The Azerbaijani giants have conceded six times in consecutive Champions League games against Liverpool and the Magpies.

This has only been done twice during the same season since 2000, with Dinamo Zagreb and Maccabi Haifa achieving the unwanted feats in 2011-12 and 2022-23 respectively.

Furthermore, if Qarabag concede twice at St James' Park, they will become the team to have conceded the most goals in a single Champions League season since the competition formed in 1992-93.

A total of 27 goals have been shipped in nine games thus far. Bayer Leverkusen conceding 28 times during the 2001-02 is currently top of that particular list.