Newcastle Set to Clash with Qarabag in Champions League Play-offs

30 Jan,2026

3 weeks ago

Newcastle Set to Clash with Qarabag in Champions League Play-offs

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.

  • Bodo/Glimt v Inter Milan
  • Benfica v Real Madrid
  • Monaco v Paris St-Germain
  • Galatasaray v Juventus
  • Club Brugge v Atletico Madrid
  • Borussia Dortmund v Atalanta
  • Olympiacos v Bayer Leverkusen

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.

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