Newcastle United have been drawn against Qarabag in the Champions League knockout phase play-offs, setting up a two-legged tie next month for a place in the Round of 16.
The draw took place on Friday morning in Nyon, Switzerland, and paired Eddie Howe’s side with the Azerbaijani champions after Newcastle finished 12th in the 36-team league phase. Qarabag ended the phase in 22nd place.
The first leg will be played in Azerbaijan on February 17 or 18 at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, with the return leg scheduled for St James’ Park on February 24 or 25. UEFA will confirm kick-off times in due course.
The draw means Newcastle face a significant midweek journey, with the round trip covering close to 8,000 miles. Qarabag’s home advantage contrasts with their final league-phase match, which saw them suffer a heavy defeat away to Liverpool, losing 6-0 on the spot.
By drawing Qarabag, Newcastle avoided a shorter trip against stronger-side Monaco, who were instead paired with Paris Saint-Germain in the play-offs.
Should Newcastle progress, the draw has outlined a challenging potential route through the knockout rounds. The winner of the tie will face either Barcelona or Chelsea in the Round of 16.
Beyond that, the projected path for an European Magpie title could feature further English opposition, with Tottenham a possible quarter-final opponent and Arsenal a potential semi-final rival.
Eight clubs will advance from the play-offs to join the eight teams that qualified automatically for the last 16. The draw for that round will take place on February 27.
