Newcastle 6-1 Qarabağ Champions League win sees Anthony Gordon score four as Magpies take firm control of play-off tie

Newcastle United delivered a ruthless statement performance on Wednesday night, dismantling Qarabağ FK 6-1 in the first leg of their Champions League knockout phase play-off at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium.

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Anthony Gordon produced a breathtaking display, scoring four times as Newcastle seized commanding control of the tie.

The visitors made history even before kick-off, travelling the longest distance ever undertaken by an English club in the competition. Any suggestion of fatigue quickly vanished.

Newcastle struck inside three minutes when Gordon raced onto Dan Burn’s pass and calmly slotted home to register the club’s quickest ever goal in the Champions League.

Five minutes later, Malick Thiaw doubled the advantage. The defender rose highest to meet Kieran Trippier’s cross and powered a header into the far corner for his first Champions League goal for the club.

The contest soon became the Gordon show.

In the 32nd minute, referee Espen Eskås awarded a penalty following a VAR review for handball. Gordon dispatched the spot kick with precision to extend the lead.

Two minutes later, the forward completed the first hat-trick of his senior career.

Capitalising on a defensive error, Gordon rounded Mateusz Kochalski and rolled the ball into an empty net.

On the stroke of half-time, he struck again from the penalty spot after being fouled in the area.

The fourth goal took his Champions League tally to ten and made him the first Newcastle player to score four times in a European fixture.

The Newcastle 6-1 Qarabağ Champions League win briefly encountered resistance in the 56th minute.

Elvin Cafarguliyev’s effort for the hosts was initially ruled out for offside but stood after a VAR review.

Newcastle responded emphatically. In the 72nd minute, Jacob Murphy added the sixth goal, cutting inside from Jacob Ramsey’s pass before seeing his deflected strike fly beyond Kochalski.

The result equalled the club’s biggest ever European victory and leaves Newcastle firmly in command ahead of the return leg at St James’ Park next Tuesday.

The evening also carried emotional significance. On what would have been Sir Bobby Robson’s 93rd birthday, manager Eddie Howe equalled the record for the most wins by an English manager in a single Champions League edition.

Academy product Sean Neave marked his competitive first-team debut and nearly created a goal with a teasing cross.

The only setback came when Thiaw received a late booking, ruling him out of the second leg through suspension.

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Yet the defining image of the night was Gordon’s brilliance. Four goals, multiple milestones and a dominant team display have placed Newcastle on the brink of the next stage of Europe’s elite competition.