AZE.US
Qarabag FK fought until the final whistle but fell short of a comeback in a 3-2 away defeat to Newcastle United F.C. in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League playoff on Tuesday night.
The match at St. James’ Park began at a punishing tempo. Sandro Tonali opened the scoring in the 5th minute, and Joelinton doubled the lead just a minute later, putting the hosts firmly in control. Qarabag, already trailing 1-6 from the first leg in Baku, faced a steep uphill task.
After the break, Newcastle extended their advantage when Sven Botman struck in the 52nd minute to make it 3-1 on the night.
But the Azerbaijani champions responded with resilience. Camilo Duran pulled one back in the 51st minute, and Elvin Jafarquliyev narrowed the gap again in the 57th, cutting the score to 3-2 and briefly shifting the momentum. Qarabag pushed forward in search of another goal, but Newcastle managed the closing stages effectively.
With a 9-3 aggregate defeat across both legs, Qarabag exit the Champions League at the playoff stage.
The return leg was officiated by Italian referee Davide Massa, assisted by Filippo Meli and Stefano Alassio, with Daniele Chiffi overseeing VAR.
Despite the result, Qarabag once again demonstrated their ability to compete on Europe’s biggest stage, even against top Premier League opposition.