Eddie Howe will hope the second leg of the play-off round is a mere formality following Newcastle United’s big result in the reverse leg against Qarabag.
Newcastle United have been through a difficult period in their season following a raft of injuries to their key stars and the fixture list piling up, with the next tie with Qarabag coming thick and fast. All Eddie Howe would have asked for is a little break in games to help recover some ideas and fitness.
The manager could get his wish in midweek, despite Newcastle United playing their second leg of the Champions League play-off. Howe could potentially rest most of his key stars and use fringe players in need of minutes under their belt, as Newcastle United took a massive 6-1 lead in this tie thanks to their first-leg performance.
Anthony Gordon became Newcastle United’s highest goalscorer in the Champions League, owing to the four goals he scored against Qarabag in the first leg. With one foot in the Round of 16, Howe will probably treat this second leg as a mere formality and look to recuperate ahead of their weekend clash in the Premier League against Everton.
Qarabag have found themselves in an impossible position following their heavy loss to Newcastle United in the first leg. Hence, it is plausible that the Azerbaijani side comes here for the sake of pride and puts in a performance that makes their fans back home proud.
They have given a good account of themselves, following successes over Benfica and a hard-fought draw with Chelsea. Qurban Qurbanov will want to see his side play with their hearts, although from a results point of view, there is nothing to gain, especially considering Qarabag have lost nine and drawn once in their 10 games against English opposition in Europe.
Team News & Tactics
Newcastle United
Malick Thiaw will be suspended for this clash, as he must serve a one-match ban after his yellow card in the first leg against Qarabag. Howe will not be bothered by his absence, as there was a chance the manager would have rested him anyway.
The German joins skipper Bruno Guimarães, Emil Krafth, Fabian Schär, Tino Livramento and Lewis Miley on the sidelines. Howe will hope to have Sven Botman and Yoane Wissa back for this one after the pair missed the defeat at the weekend, away to Manchester City.
Howe can potentially consider bringing in some youth players and giving them chances, but the stakes are so high that he might not go in that direction. One player who could make the team is Alex Murphy, who can play centrally despite being a left-back.
Should Howe have Botman ready, he could pair the Dutchman with Dan Burn, while Alex Murphy can play in the full-back role. Otherwise, the latter can occupy a central role, with Lewis Hall keeping his place out wide. With many injuries affecting rotations, Howe may end up playing some fringe players while keeping the line-up more or less familiar.
Probable line-up (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Trippier, Burn, A. Murphy, Hall; Joelinton, Tonali, Ramsey; J. Murphy, Woltemade, Barnes
Qarabag
Meanwhile, visitors Qarabag are also missing some key personnel, including key defender Bahlul Mustafazada, who was taken off early in the first leg. Qurbanov has a few options to replace him, including right-back Dani Holt, as well as Samy Mmaee and Badavi Huseynov.
The latter pair are more central options. Another defender, Sahruddin Mahammadaliyev, is also set to miss out, which does create problems at the back for Qurbanov as he looks to ensure the team does not concede too many goals.
The manager is likely to prefer his standard 4-2-3-1 shape, with Abdellah Zoubir key to his plans, with the winger offering plenty of ball-carrying capability, while Camilo Duran will lead the line for Qarabag.
Probable line-up (4-2-3-1): Kochalski; Silva, Huseynov, Medina, Cafarquliyev; Bicalho, Jankovic; Andrade, Montiel, Zoubir; Duran
Key Stats
- Newcastle United have won each of their last three Champions League home games without conceding a goal.
- Newcastle United have scored in every Champions League game this season.
- Qarabag have conceded six goals in their last two Champions League games, and 27 overall in nine this season.
- Qarabag are without a win in 10 European games against English opponents, losing nine of those.
Player to Watch
Nick Woltemade
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Players often have a topsy-turvy nature to their individual form, and over the last few weeks, Woltemade has come under scrutiny for his lack of output in this Newcastle United side. The bigger problem is the dip in the form of Premier League-experienced striker Wissa, but the German is the one under the spotlight.
With the tie against Qarabag almost in the bag, Newcastle United can play this one without any real pressure, and so can Woltemade. The German attacker really needs a game where he can express his talent to the fullest, and this might be the one to get his confidence back ahead of the crucial last part of the season.
Prediction
Newcastle United 4-0 Qarabag
Qarabag have nothing more to lose in this second leg, as the damage was already done in the reverse fixture in Azerbaijan. They might come with the mentality of playing for pride, but given how strong the Magpies have been on home soil over the last three games at least, there is no chance Qarabag will take anything from here.
Newcastle United have the chance to heavily rotate their pack, but given the injuries to key stars, Howe might be unable to do so fully. Hence, with the quality of the squad intact and confidence from their first-leg performance, Newcastle United are expected to hand Qarabag another lesson at St James’ Park in this second leg.
