Newcastle United vs Qarabag – Predicted lineup and team news

St James’ Park is braced for a celebratory evening on Tuesday as Newcastle United look to rubber-stamp their passage into the Champions League last 16 against Qarabag. Eddie Howe’s side carry a near-insurmountable 6-1 lead from the first leg in Azerbaijan, a record-breaking night inspired by Anthony Gordon, and an 11-match scoring streak in the competition that underlines their free-scoring form.

English clubs have historically owned this fixture: nine wins from 10 previous continental meetings with Qarabag, an aggregate score of 33-2, and a psychological edge Newcastle will be eager to extend.

Howe, however, must juggle fitness issues with the need to keep momentum intact ahead of a prospective knockout tie against either Barcelona or Chelsea. Central defence is the pressing concern after Malick Thiaw’s first-leg caution triggered a suspension, yet there is optimism that Sven Botman could rejoin the squad after injury.

Between the posts, Nick Pope is set to start. Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn are expected to anchor the back line, while midfield balance should be provided by Sandro Tonali and Joe Willock. Width is likely to come from Harvey Barnes and Anthony Elanga, and there is growing speculation that Nick Woltemade could feature in an experimental forward line.

All eyes will again be on Gordon. The England winger has plundered 10 goals in only 15 Champions League appearances, making him the second-fastest Englishman to reach double figures in the competition, and he has already matched the single-season European tallies posted by Ruud van Nistelrooy and Erling Haaland.

Newcastle United predicted XI (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Botman, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Willock, Barnes; Elanga, Woltemade, Gordon.

Kick-off at St James’ Park is 20:00 GMT on Tuesday, 24 February 2026. UK viewers can watch live on TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video, with live streaming available on the discovery+ app.