Qarabag vs Newcastle prediction: Champions League betting tips, odds & line-ups | OneFootball

Newcastle haven’t traditionally enjoyed European away games and look a little vulnerable for tonight’s Champions League play-off round first leg away to Qarabag in Azerbaijan (5:45pm, TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+).

The 2,529-mile journey from Newcastle to Baku will be the longest distance ever travelled by an English team for a Champions League away match and the Magpies have only two of their last 15 away games in Europe.

Football betting sites seem to think Eddie Howe’s men can enjoy a rare road success this evening though, making them odds-on favourites for just their sixth away win of the season.

Qarabag have never beaten an English side, but they came close during the league phase when holding Chelsea to a 2-2 draw in Baku. A similar result tonight wouldn’t be the worst result for Newcastle and this promises to be an entertaining first leg.

Qarabag vs Newcastle betting preview: Goalfest in Baku

This will be the first-ever meeting between the two sides as well as the first time either side has reached the knockout stages of the competition.

Four points separated them in the league table, with Newcastle finishing 12th with 14 points from their eight games, while their opponents finished 22nd with 10 points.

After playing six matches to reach the Champions League main draw, they got their campaign off to a flying start with two wins from their opening two matches away at Benfica and then at home to Copenhagen.

Since then, though, they have won just one of their last six, and that came last month when they beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2 at the Tofik Bakhramov Stadium, but their last match saw them thrashed 6-0 by Liverpool.

The Magpies won four of their eight matches, losing two and drawing two in an impressive campaign which saw them beat Union St Gilloise, Benfica, Atletico and PSV Eindhoven, while they drew away at Bayer Leverkusen and most recently PSG last time out.

Their only defeats came at home to Barcelona and away to Marseille, so they should have little to fear in this one.

Qarabag have conceded 2+ goals in each of their last six Champions League games and 21 overall, while only Kairat, who finished bottom of the table, have conceded more goals than the Azerbaijani side, and you can get 23/10 on Newcastle to score twice on Wednesday.

Eddie Howe’s side have averaged two goals per game, so that seems a good bet, but the fact they have conceded in their last seven in all competition and 13 in eight games in this one might make both teams to score attractive.

Betting sites are offering 10/11 on both sides finding the net and just 11/17 on over 2.5 goals, so they are expecting goals.

Gurban Gurbanov's side have scored two or more goals in their last six Champions League home matches, so maybe over 3.5 or even 4.5 could be a good option.

76% of Newcastle’s goals in the Champions League this season have featured Anthony Gordon or Harvey Barnes as the scorer and/or assister, accounting for 13 of the 17 goals.

Gordon has six goals and two assists, while Barnes has five goals and one assist, and they combined for one goal v Benfica, which was scored by Barnes.

Barnes’ last goal came in this competition, when they beat PSV 3-0 back in January, and he would love to add to his tally for the season of 12 so far.

The 28-year-old is just one short of his best-ever season return, which he has achieved twice before, but based on his current form, he could quite easily far exceed that number.

He has scored the last goal five times so far this season, including a 90+12-minute winner against Leeds United, and betting apps are offering 11/2 on him doing it again in Azerbaijan.

Qarabag: Kochalski; Silva, Mustafazade, Medina, Ceferquliyev; Bicalho, Jankovic; Andrade, Montiel, Zoubir; Duran.

Newcastle: Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Willock; Barnes, Gordon, Elanga; Woltemade.

NetBet are running a Champions League special for existing customers worth £5 in free bets for placing a £10 bet builder on Qarabag vs Newcastle on Wednesday.

To qualify, customers need only to place a £10 pre-match bet builder on the action with three legs or more and odds of 3/1 or greater. Once your qualifying bet is confirmed, you’ll receive £5 in free bets to use on the sportsbook.

Free bets are active for seven days before expiry.

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