February 18, (THEWILL) — Newcastle United produced a stunning first-leg display in Azerbaijan, beating Qarabag 6-1 in their UEFA Champions League play-off tie, with Anthony Gordon scoring four times before half-time.
Gordon broke the deadlock after just 122 seconds, the club’s quickest goal in European competition, finishing from a Dan Burn pass. Malick Thiaw doubled the lead shortly after, heading in from a Kieran Trippier cross in the ninth minute.
Two penalties added to Gordon’s tally: the first converted after Matheus Silva handled the ball past the half-hour mark, and the second awarded following a foul by goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski. Between those spot-kicks, Gordon completed his hat-trick by intercepting a pass from Kevin Medina at the restart and rounding the goalkeeper.
Qarabag offered brief encouragement when Elvin Cafarquliyev netted a consolation, though the linesman had initially flagged for offside before the goal was given. Jacob Murphy then settled matters, his long-range effort deflecting past Kochalski to round off a comprehensive evening for the visitors.
Newcastle will carry a five-goal lead into the second leg, with Gordon’s four-goal haul placing the Magpies in a strong position to progress to the group stage.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
