Newcastle United sealed their place in the Champions League knockout rounds with a confident home performance against Qarabag at St James’ Park completing a dominant aggregate victory. Holding a huge advantage from the first leg the Magpies struck early once again as Sandro Tonali and Joelinton found the net inside the opening minutes to put the tie beyond any doubt.
Tonali opened the scoring in the fourth minute before Joelinton doubled the lead just over a minute later sparking celebrations among the home supporters. Although Newcastle started brightly the tempo dropped after the quick goals allowing Qarabag to grow into the contest. The visitors reduced the deficit early in the second half through Camilo Duran but Newcastle responded almost immediately when Sven Botman headed home his first Champions League goal from a corner delivery.
Qarabag added a late goal after a saved penalty yet the result never threatened Newcastle’s overall control of the tie. Manager Eddie Howe rotated his squad during the second half with Anthony Gordon introduced from the bench but the match finished without further drama.
The aggregate triumph marks a milestone campaign for Newcastle as they recorded six Champions League wins in a single season for the first time. Attention now turns to the knockout draw where they could face either Barcelona or Chelsea two familiar opponents from recent European and domestic encounters. For Howe and his players reaching this stage represents a major step forward and confirms Newcastle’s growing presence on Europe’s biggest stage.
