The Magpies scored five times in a dominant first half at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium as Gordon netted four times, including two penalties, while Malick Thiaw netted his first Champions League goal for the club. Elvin Cafarguliyev pulled a goal back for the hosts in the second half before Jacob Murphy netted his first ever Champions League goal in the closing stages, equalling the club's biggest ever win in a European competition. Competing in their first ever Champions League knockout fixture, Eddie Howe made four changes to his starting XI as Nick Pope, Joe Willock, Anthony Elanga and Gordon all come in, with both sides competing in their first ever knockout fixture in the star-studded competition this evening.
Making the longest-ever distance travelled by an English team in the competition's history, Newcastle got off to the perfect start inside three minutes as Gordon netted the club's quickest ever goal in the Champions League, racing onto Dan Burn's pass before cooly slotting the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.
The visitors doubled their lead five minutes later through Thiaw as the German defender rose from Kieran Trippier's inviting cross into the box before guiding a firm header into the far left-hand corner. Newcastle's superiority in the game continued as Gordon extended Newcastle's advantage from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute, surpassing Alan Shearer as the club's all-time leading Champions League goalscorer in the process. After Harvey Barnes' initial shot was blocked by Matheus Silva's arm inside the box, referee Espen Eskås pointed to the spot after a VAR review before Gordon confidently dispatched the resulting spot kick into the top left-hand corner. The Liverpool-born forward completed his hat-trick, a first of his senior career, two minutes later after capitalising on Kevin Medina's defensive error and after calmly rounding Qarabağ goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski, placed the ball into an empty net. On the stroke of half-time, Gordon took his goalscoring tally to ten strikes in the Champions League after netting his fourth goal of the night, once more from 12 yards. The England international was alert to Qarabağ's defensive issues, nipping onto Medina's poorly weighted pass intended for Kochalski before being brought down by the Polish goalkeeper inside the penalty area. Gordon converted his penalty into the top right-hand corner, despite Kochalski guessing the correct way, to become the club's first ever player to score four goals in a European fixture as well as the first British footballer in the tournament's history to net four times in the first half of a match. Newcastle's hopes of a clean sheet, however, were dashed in the 56th minute as Qarabağ pulled a goal back through Cafarguliyev. After the full-back was worked in behind the Magpies defence before firing the ball beyond Pope, the goal was initially disallowed for offside but, following a VAR review, the goal stood. Murphy netted Newcastle's sixth goal of the night in the 72nd minute, the winger's first ever Champions League goal for his boyhood club. After collecting Jacob Ramsey's pass on the right flank, the 30-year-old cut inside before his deflected effort from the edge of the box flew beyond Kochalski. Thiaw was booked in the closing stages, resulting in the centre-back's suspension for next week's second leg at St. James' Park after receiving a third yellow card in this season's competition but that proved a mere negative on an otherwise perfect night in Baku. Sean Neave, a product of Newcastle's Academy since the age of 13, made his competitive first-team debut for his boyhood club and almost grabbed an assist in the final stages as Thiaw's header, courtesy of the teenager's curling cross from the right flank, flew narrowly wide of the left-hand post. On what would've been Sir Bobby Robson's 93rd birthday, the Champions League win fittingly saw Howe record the joint-most victories by an English manager in a single edition, along with five by Sir Bobby in 2002-03 (with Newcastle) and Graham Potter in 2022-23 (with Chelsea).
Newcastle United: Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier (c) (Joelinton 77), Lewis Hall, Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon (Will Osula 68), Harvey Barnes (Sean Neave 88), Malick Thiaw, Anthony Elanga (Jacob Murphy 68), Nick Woltemade, Joe Willock (Jacob Ramsey 68), Dan Burn.
Subs not used: John Ruddy, Aaron Ramsdale, Aidan Harris, Alex Murphy, Leo Shahar.
