Newcastle United completed their progression to the Champions League last 16 with a 3-2 win over Qarabag on Tuesday, sealing a 9-3 aggregate victory over the Azeri champions.
The Magpies join five other English sides in the last 16, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Tottenham.
After a dominant first leg, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe rotated his squad, resting four-goal hero Anthony Gordon, but the team quickly extended their lead through Sandro Tonali and Joelinton. Sven Botman added a header before Qarabag pulled two late goals, including a penalty rebound scored by Elvin Jafarguliyev. Qarabag conceded a record 30 goals in a single Champions League season.
Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen secured passage to the last 16 after a scoreless home draw with Olympiacos, winning the tie 2-0 on aggregate. Leverkusen’s first progression past a two-legged knockout tie since reaching the 2002 final will see them face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the next round.
Leverkusen captain Robert Andrich admitted frustration with the team’s sluggish performance, while midfielder Jonas Hofmann joked that coach Kasper Hjulmand “will probably go home and drink a beer out of frustration.”
Despite a few early scares and a crossbar strike from Alejandro Grimaldo, Leverkusen managed to keep Olympiacos at bay, with right-back Lucas Vazquez limping off late in the match as the only injury concern for the German side.
