Qarabag vs Newcastle United Predictions | betCompare

Match info: UEFA Champions League Playoff

Venue: Tofiq Bakhramov Stadium, Baku

Date: Wednesday, 18^thFebruary 2026

Time: 6:45 pm Nigerian time

Both debutants at this stage of the Champions League, Qarabag and Newcastle United face off at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium in the first leg of their knockout phase playoff tie on Wednesday.

Winless in three of four away matches in Europe this term, the travelling Geordies will hope for an encouraging performance and result in Baku, aiming to halt the Azerbaijani outfit’s admirable European campaign by taking a positive scoreline into next week’s reverse fixture at St James’ Park.

Head-to-head:

• Both teams have never faced each other in the UEFA Champions League.

• Newcastle United are on a two-match winning streak.

• Qarabag have secured back-to-back wins in their last three matches.

• This will be the first-ever confrontation between these clubs.

Form:

• Qarabak in the Champions League: D-L-L-W-L

• Qarabak in all competitions: L-W-L-W-W

• Newcastle in the Champions League: W-L-D-W-D

• Newcastle in all competitions: L-L-L-W-W

Team News:

• Qarabag have all their players fit and ready to be in action.

• Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Fabian Schar, Valentino Livramento and Emil Krafth are not going to be in action for Newcastle United. They are injured. Lewis Miley might also sit out due to a lack of fitness.

Player(s) to watch:

• Camilo Duran is going to play a crucial role in the final third for Qarabag. He has scored four goals in eight UCL appearances in the ongoing campaign. He will be looking to step up his game so that he can help his side stand a chance against the Magpies. Duran will be keen to come up with a top performance, which can be useful for the hosts.

• Anthony Gordon has eight goal involvements in eight UEFA Champions League fixtures this season and will be eager to add more to his tally. The Englishman is going to be a constant threat to the opponent’s defence. He can play multiple positions on the field, making him a vital part of the squad.