Gordon scores four as Newcastle hammer Qarabag

Agency :

Anthony Gordon struck four times in the first half as Newcastle United thrashed Qarabag 6-1 away in their Champions League playoff first leg on Wednesday, to all but book their place in the last 16.

Gordon opened the scoring in the third minute and Malick Thiaw headed in from a corner six minutes later to earn an early two-goal lead.

The 24-year-old Englishman made it 3-0 from the spot in the 32nd minute following a handball, added his third a minute later after a defensive error and converted another penalty in added time before the break, when keeper Mateusz Kochalski brought him down inside the box.

It was Gordon’s 10th goal in this season’s Champions League, more than Harry Kane (8) and Erling Haaland (7), with only Kylian Mbappe (13) ahead of him.

Elvin Jafarguliyev pulled one back in the 56th minute before substitute Jacob Murphy’s deflected strike in the 72nd minute sealed a dominant win for the Premier League side in Baku.