Newcastle United celebrated a historic moment as they reached the knockout rounds of the Champions League for the first time in their history. However, the match against Qarabag felt underwhelming as the team quickly established a commanding lead and then appeared to go through the motions for the remainder of the game. With a 6-1 advantage from the first leg, the atmosphere at St. James' Park was more reminiscent of a pre-season friendly than a thrilling knockout encounter.

Despite starting strong and going 2-0 up within the first six minutes, Newcastle struggled to maintain their focus and intensity throughout the match. The ease with which they scored seemed to lead to complacency, allowing Qarabag to pull back two goals in the second half, highlighting Newcastle's lack of defensive prowess as they recorded their tenth match without a clean sheet in all competitions. Head coach Eddie Howe will likely be frustrated with the lack of seriousness shown by his players, especially given the significance of the competition.

As Newcastle looks forward to potentially facing either Barcelona or Chelsea in the next round, the team will need to regroup and address their defensive issues if they are to make a deeper run in the tournament. The result may have appeared comfortable, but the performance raises questions about the team's readiness to compete against more formidable opponents. The excitement of the qualifying achievement is overshadowed by the concerns of their recent form, placing extra pressure on the players in the upcoming games.