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Newcastle United latest news: Eddie Howe’s side hit Qarabag for six in the first-leg of their Champions League play-off match.
Newcastle United smashed five past Qarabag in a simply sensational first-half performance at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium in Baku.
The Magpies headed to Azerbaijan with the goal of ensuring they could take away with them a positive result ahead of their return leg at St James’ Park on Tuesday. Within ten minutes, though, they found themselves two goals to the good, adding a third and fourth, both courtesy of Anthony Gordon, just after the half hour mark.
Gordon added a fifth for the Magpies from the spot, his second penalty of the night and fourth goal in total, to ensure they headed down the tunnel with a 5-0 lead. Ten places separated Newcastle United and Qarabag in the Champions League league phase table with the Azerbaijani side registering ten points from their eight league phase matches.
Those ten points included wins against FC Copenhagen, EIntracht Frankfurt and Benfica and a 2-2 draw against Chelsea. That draw against Chelsea back in November saw the Blues require a second half equaliser from Alejandro Garnacho to rescue a point.
Although they were then beaten 6-0 by Liverpool later on in the league phase, that draw with Chelsea would have served as a warning for the Magpies that they are a side capable of giving a Premier League club a run for their money.
Qarabag slammed by TNT Sports pundit
None of that was on display on Wednesday night in Baku as they were completely outplayed by Newcastle United during the first 45 minutes, much to the dismay of Steve McManaman who was on punditry duty with TNT Sports. Speaking over a replay of Malick Thiaw’s goal, McManaman said: “A lovely header. As Shay [Given] said you can’t get away from the fact that it has been a great 45 minutes for Newcastle United.
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“But I don’t know what this team is. This is not the same team that beat Eintracht Frankfurt or Benfica away from home.
“They look like a bunch of imposters. It’s 5-0 and it could be ten, it should be ten. Harvey Barnes could have had a hat-trick himself.
“It was a lovely header by Malick Thiaw and they may as well make hay while they can Newcastle. Get the game over and done with. Rest players, take players off ahead of the weekend game which is a difficult one. They’ve had harder training sessions have Newcastle.”
Howe did just that in the second period, but waited 23 minutes before ringing the changes. Will Osula, Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy were introduced to the game in the 68th minute. Murphy didn’t wait long to make an impression on the game as he netted, albeit courtesy of a wicked deflection, his side’s sixth of the evening to restore their five-goal lead following Abdellah Zoubir’s consolation strike earlier in the half.
A flurry of substitutions from Howe in the second half allowed some Newcastle United players to get much needed rest ahead of their Premier League clash with Manchester City on Saturday (8pm kick-off).
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