Preview: Newcastle United vs Qarabag FK - prediction, team news, lineups

Completing the formalities of their Champions League playoff tie, Newcastle United host Qarabag FK at St James' Park on Tuesday night for what can accurately be described as a dead rubber.

Eddie Howe's men obliterated their Azerbaijani foes 6-1 in last week's first-leg mismatch, so only the catastrophe of all catastrophes will deny them a last-16 place now.

Match preview

Anthony Gordon, Anthony Gordon, Anthony Gordon, Anthony Gordon.

On a one-man mission to propel Newcastle into the last 16 of the Champions League, the former Everton and Liverpool starlet sent records tumbling in Azerbaijan, scoring a fabulous four goals to effectively end the playoff tie as a contest.

The list of feats Gordon achieved are too long to write here, but a quick snapshot is the least he deserves; the fastest hat-trick from an English player in the competition, the first Newcastle player to score four in a UCL game, and now also the Magpies' highest scorer in a Champions League campaign (10).

Malick Thiaw and Jacob Murphy got in on the act for good measure, and history is unsurprisingly on Newcastle's side; of the previous 91 occasions where a team has won the first leg of a European Cup knockout game by 5+ goals, that team has progressed 91 times.

Howe's men can already begin to prepare for a last-16 showdown with either Chelsea or Barcelona, but their momentum took a slight hit on Saturday night, when a Nico O'Reilly-inspired Manchester City eked out a 2-1 Premier League triumph at the Etihad.

St James' Park has also lost its fortress status in recent weeks, as the hosts have lost three of their last four matches in front of their own fans in all competitions, while also conceding 2+ goals in five of their last six on familiar territory.

Qarabag will take any slice of hope they can get ahead of what will surely be mission impossible for the Azerbaijani upstarts, who have still given a respectable account of themselves in the Champions League regardless of what transpires in the north of England.

Qurban Qurbanov's crop should forever remember their success over Benfica and hard-fought draw with Chelsea, but the visitors have simply run out of European steam and have had their defensive vulnerabilities ruthlessly exposed.

Indeed, Qarabag have now shipped six goals in back-to-back Champions League games after also being battered by Liverpool, while conceding multiple goals in each of their six games in Europe's premier tournament.

The unfancied visitors have also failed to take down an English club in any competition - losing nine and drawing one of their 10 such contests - while suffering five losses in all such away games by an aggregate score of 19-1.

Qarabag's domestic clash with FK Neftchi at the weekend was at least postponed to give Qurbanov's side as much preparation as possible for their jaunt to England, but the away side are likely already re-focusing on the Azerbaijan Premier League title fight, in which they sit four points off top spot.

Newcastle United Champions League form:

Newcastle United form (all competitions):

Qarabag FK Champions League form:

Qarabag FK form (all competitions):

Team News

Newcastle defender Thiaw will serve a one-match ban on Tuesday after collecting his third UCL yellow card of the season in the first leg, but he has arguably picked up his punishment at the best time, as he will be back available for the last 16.

Thiaw joins Bruno Guimaraes (thigh), Emil Krafth (knee), Fabian Schar (ankle), Tino Livramento (thigh) and Lewis Miley (thigh), but neither Sven Botman (back) nor Yoane Wissa (knock) have been ruled out just yet.

Howe will likely see no point risking the latter for the scrap, though, and one or two youngsters could even force their way into an experimental XI with the tie all but wrapped up.

On Qarabag's end, experienced defender Bahlul Mustafazada was forced off with just 22 minutes gone in the first leg due to an adductor injury, which could rule the 28-year-old out for between 10 and 12 weeks.

Right-back Dani Bolt was drafted in to replace his stricken colleague in the first leg, but Samy Mmaee and Badavi Huseynov represent two out-and-out central alternatives.

Scorer of Qarabag's consolation last week, Elvin Cafarquliyev should be retained over fellow left-back Toral Bayramov, who is remarkably the visitors' top league scorer this season with seven goals.

Newcastle United possible starting lineup:

Ramsdale; Trippier, Botman, Burn, A. Murphy; Willock, Tonali, Joelinton; J. Murphy, Osula, Barnes

Qarabag FK possible starting lineup:

Kochalski; Silva, Bolt, Huseynov, Medina, Cafarquliyev; Jankovic, Bicalho; Montiel, Duran, Zubir

We say: Newcastle United 3-0 Qarabag FK (Newcastle win 9-1 on aggregate)

No Newcastle fan should have a go at their players for taking their foot off the gas on Tuesday, regardless of whether Qarabag are in damage limitation mode or go for broke with nothing to lose.

Howe's men have lost their defensive steel at home of late, but a dominant win, a clean sheet and a simple passage into the last 16 is the only outcome we can picture.

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