Newcastle vs Qarabag Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2025-26 UEFA Champions League | Knockout Playoffs
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Newcastle United have all but wrapped this tie up nice and early as they welcome Azeri champions Qarabag to St James’ Park on Tyneside on Tuesday night.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / US – CBS Sports
How to watch online: UK – Amazon Prime & discovery+ / US – Paramount+
Newcastle preview: Emphatic win last week
Newcastle United managed to annihilate Qarabag by six goals to one in the first-leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout playoff round tie last week with England international Anthony Gordon scoring four goals to hit double figures in Europe.
That came after back-to-back away wins against Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, in the Premier League and the FA Cup respectively. They were beaten 2-1 by title challenging Manchester City in the league at the Etihad Stadium at the weekend.
Qarabag preview: Struggling to cope
Azeri champions Qarabag were brilliant in the league phase with famous victories against Benfica, Copenhagen and Eintracht Frankfurt, as well as a draw with Chelsea, as they went further in the UEFA Champions League than ever before.
However, the amount of games and the intensity of those games may well be having a massive impact, as shown by that loss to Newcastle as well as a 6-0 defeat to Liverpool last month and the fact they currently sit second domestically.
Newcastle team news: Probable rotation
Newcastle are expected to rotate heavily for this one with the likes of Anthony Elanga and Harvey Barnes expected to start, while Malick Thiaw is missing through suspension.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Pope; Trippier, Botman, Burn, Hall; Joelinton, Willock; Elanga, Woltemade, Barnes; Osula
Unavailable: Thiaw (Suspended), Schar (Injured), Krafth (Injured), Livramento (Injured), Miley (Injured), Guimaraes (Injured)
Questionable: Botman (Injured), Wissa (Injured)
Qarabag team news: Kochalski a doubt
Mateusz Kochalski kept the 6-1 scoreline down against Newcastle last week but now the Polish shot stopper is a doubt after sustaining a knock. Bahlul Mustafadze had to be replaced due to injury last week, too.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Ramazanov; Silva, Guseynov, Medina, Cafarguliyev; Bicalho, Jankovic; Andrade, Montiel, Zoubir; Duran
Unavailable: Mustafadze (Injured)
Questionable: Kochalski (Injured)
Newcastle vs Qarabag prediction
There is an expectation that Newcastle go through the motions and ease themselves to another comfortable win here – and Eddie Howe will want to ensure positivity remains as, under pressure, a defeat or any sort of second-leg frustration or score will be made it to be more than it is. Qarabag have some very good attackers and they may well play with a bit more freedom, without pressure. Newcastle should win but another high-scoring encounter would not be a surprise.
Newcastle vs Qarabag Tip: Newcastle to win & over 2.5 goals
