30 Jan,2026
3 weeks ago
Newcastle will play Qarabag in a two-legged play-off in an attempt to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.
The Magpies drew 1-1 with defending champions Paris St-Germain on Wednesday in the league phase to seal 12th place. PSG, who finished 11th, will face Monaco while 15-time European champions Real Madrid will again face former manager Jose Mourinho's Benfica. Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin's 98th-minute goal earned Benfica a 4-2 win against the Spanish giants on Wednesday.
The play-offs are for teams who finished between 9th and 24th in the league phase. The first legs will take place on 17-18 February, with the second legs one week later. The Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary will host the 2025-26 final on 30 May.
Qarabag finished 22nd in the league phase after winning three, drawing one and losing four of their matches. They were defeated 6-0 against Liverpool at Anfield in their final outing and have not beaten a Premier League team in nine previous attempts.
The Azerbaijan champions avoided defeat for the first time against an English club when drawing 2-2 with Chelsea in November.
Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.