The Magpies are into the last 16 to face Barcelona or Chelsea but first they had to negotiate a second leg with battling Qarabag
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe embraces Qarabag's manager Gurban Gurbanov
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe embraces Qarabag's manager Gurban Gurbanov(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
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Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe hopes that Jacob Ramsey's hamstring injury isn't serious after not risking him against Qarabag on Tuesday night.
The Magpies triumphed 3-2 with Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Nick Woltemade in midfield. But Ramsey's omission from the team sheet for the second leg was a talking point on the concourses before the match.
But Howe was asked if Ramsey will be back for the Everton clash in the Premier League at the weekend and said: "We hope so. He just felt his hamstring, and was aware of a tightness in his hamstring.
"He had a scan, and it came back all clear. So we’re hopeful there’ll be a quick improvement, and he’ll be back involved, hopefully for our next game. But let’s wait and see."
And speaking on Lewis Hall's role on the night against the team from Azerbaijan, Howe said: “I wanted to give Lewis Hall a rest above anyone else. So it was about selecting people who could get through the game.
“We’ve got a really fragile squad at the moment. We’ve got a number of players who we are willing to get back as quickly as possible.”
Crowd reaction after Qarabag consolation
The game had spats of the 10-2 aggregate win over Royal Antwerp back in 1994. That is the greatest overall score in a two-legged European game in club history and while Newcastle fell short of that with a 9-3 total scoreline, the game had reminders of Antwerp back in the day.
That night, with Newcastle 9-0 up in the tie, Antwerp scored a couple of late goals that resulted in warm cheers from all sides of the ground, with the Geordie crowd knowing the game was over and joining in on the Belgian side, enjoying their moment.
When Qarabag pulled a goal back through Camilo Duran in the 50th minute, the visitors celebrated wildly with their band of 301 fans savouring the moment. And there were was also sporting applause from the respectful St James' Park crowd as they did not begrudge Qarabag a goal or two.
That may well have been off the back of the warm welcome from the people of Baku and fans of Qarabag in the first leg. Given Newcastle fans were drinking shots with Baku locals this time last week, there has been a healthy bond between the two clubs.
Eddie Howe banner reaction
Before the game, it was the turn of the Leazes End to show their appreciation for Eddie Howe.
Howe has suffered a rough ride in recent weeks after some results did not go his way. But the fans showed their love for Howe before the game.
When asked about the banner that was unfurled at the Leazes End, Howe said: "Amazing. Big thank you to everyone that thought of that idea. It's much appreciated the love that the supporters give me and the team. It means everything."
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