02/18/26 01:48:00
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02/18 13:46 CST Champions League playoffs: Gordon scores four goals in first
half as Newcastle routs Qarabag
Champions League playoffs: Gordon scores four goals in first half as Newcastle
routs Qarabag
By JAMES ROBSON
AP Soccer Writer
Anthony Gordon scored four goals in the first half as Newcastle routed Qarabag
6-1 in the Champions League playoffs on Wednesday.
Newcastle was 5-0 up by halftime in Azerbaijan and, barring an unlikely
collapse in the second leg at home next week, is cruising into the round of 16.
Gordon completed his hat trick in 33 minutes at the Tofik Bakhramov Stadium in
Baku and got a fourth in first-half added time.
Malick Thiaw was also on target for the Premier League team, which had 16 shots
in a rampant first half.
Elvin Jafarguliyev pulled one back for Qarabag, which has been one of the
surprise stories of this season's Champions League after qualifying for the
playoffs. But Jacob Murphy's deflected strike completed the rout for Newcastle,
which will be the fifth English team in the last 16 if it advances.
Test for Inter
Inter Milan is facing a daunting trip to Bodo/Glimt later on Wednesday.
The tiny Norwegian team produced shock wins over Manchester City and Atletico
Madrid to make the playoffs.
Located north of the Arctic Circle --- farther north than any team in Champions
League history --- the reward for its impressive run is a showdown with last
year's runner-up Inter, which leads the Italian league.
Club Bruges hosts Atletico Madrid and Olympiacos faces Bayer Leverkusen.
In Tuesday's playoffs Paris Saint-Germain rallied from two goals down to beat
Monaco 3-2 and Real Madrid defeat Benfica 1-0.
Galatasaray won 5-2 against Juventus and Borussia Dortmund beat Atalanta 2-0.
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