Newcastle United vs. FK Qarabag Recap: Early Tonali and Joelinton Strikes Secure Progress
Joe Cervenka
Host · Writer
Newcastle United maintained their clinical European form at a rocking St James’ Park, officially ending FK Qarabag’s journey with a hard-fought 3-2 second-leg victory. Holding a massive 6-1 lead from the first leg, the Magpies effectively killed the tie in the opening minutes, ultimately advancing 9-3 on aggregate.
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Blistering Start: The Magpies wasted no time asserting their dominance, with Sandro Tonali opening the scoring just 4 minutes into the match.
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Quick Double: Joelinton doubled the advantage only two minutes later (6′), leaving Qarabag with a nearly impossible mountain to climb.
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Qarabag’s Fightback: The visitors refused to leave without a fight in the second half, as Camilo Durán found the net in the 50th minute.
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Restoring the Margin: Sven Botman restored Newcastle’s two-goal cushion shortly after in the 52nd minute.
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Final Word for the Visitors: Elvin Cafarquliyev added a second for Qarabag in the 57th minute, but the Magpies remained composed to see out the victory.
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By navigating this tie with confidence, Newcastle United has sent a clear message to the rest of the continent. The Magpies now move into the Round of 16, where they are slated to face a daunting test against one of the group-stage giants, either Chelsea or Barcelona.
