Newcastle United’s quest to reach the Champions League round of 16 continues at the Tofiq Bəhramov adına Respublika Stadionu, Baku, Azerbaijan on Wednesday night, as they face surprise-package Qarabağ in the first leg of their playoff tie.
While Newcastle ended the league phase with an admirable 1–1 draw away at the holders, Paris Saint-Germain, their haul of 14 points wasn’t enough for them to finish inside the top eight and thus qualify automatically for the last 16.
However, they have been handed a favourable draw in the playoffs. Few expected Qarabağ to bypass the league phase at the start of the season, but back-to-back wins to kick the competition off set them on their way.
Victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on the penultimate matchday all but sealed their spot in the playoffs, and they’ll be hoping for a less excruciating visit to English shores next week, having lost 6–0 to Liverpool at Anfield last month.
Chelsea were held in Baku during the league phase, and Newcastle cannot afford to take the Azerbaijanis lightly. While Eddie Howe’s side have once again been sub-par away from home this term, they have secured impressive results at PSG, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa as of late.
Watch Qarabag vs Newcastle in UEFA Champions League Playoff Live Match Below.
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