Qarabag v Newcastle

The Azerbaijan side Qarabag made the playoffs to everyone’s surprise. They host a Newcastle side that was unlucky not to make top 8. Can either side take a lead into the 2^nd leg?

Qarabag v Newcastle – Tofiq Bahramov Stadium 18:45 CET

Team News:

Goalkeeper Shahrudin Mahammadaliyev is still on the injury list and is the only unavailable player.

Newcastle’s injury list is growing after a crazy run of fixtures.  Guimaraes, Joelinton, Livramento, Schar and Krafth are all out. They have issues with Miley, Botman and Wissa also as those three are fitness doubts.

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Formations:

4-2-3-1 is the go-to formation for Qarabag. They like to retain possession and have speedy attackers in all areas.  Have struggled in some games this season and are weak at the back which is a worry.

4-3-3 mainly for Newcastle in Europe with the pace in all attacking areas a real threat. Long injury list for The Toon but they have good squad depth.

Statistics:

Referee: Espen Eskas (NOR) (Average cards 3.43 Yellow 0.05 Red)

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Match Preview:

Qarabag progressed despite suffering a heavy 6–0 defeat to Liverpool in their final group match. Overall, they secured three wins from eight games, including impressive victories over Benfica, Copenhagen, and Frankfurt, while also earning a valuable draw against Chelsea.

Newcastle, meanwhile, finished only two points outside the top eight. They picked up four wins from their eight fixtures, dominating PSV, Benfica, and USG, and showed real resilience in Paris, where they applied strong pressure on PSG to claim a well‑earned point.

Betting Preview:

Newcastle will need to adjust to key absences, but their starting XI remains strong. Their pace and attacking quality should trouble a very open Qarabag side. The hosts were heavily beaten by Liverpool in their last outing, and Newcastle pose an even greater threat in transition. With Anthony Gordon in excellent European form, backing a Newcastle victory looks the sensible play.