Qarabag vs Newcastle prediction 18.02.2026 | Champions League

Qarabag were excellent this season in the most elite European competition. They collected ten points in eight matches and progressed to the Champions League knockout phase for the first time in their history. Qarabag are playing well in the domestic Premier League, too, where they are one point behind the league leader, Sabah Baku. However, Qarabag's form is not at its peak, as they failed to impress in the last couple of matches. In the most recent outing, Qarabag won 1-0 on the road against Imisli. Although Qurban Qurbanov's team won, they failed to impress and will have to do much better to have any chance against Newcastle. 

Qarabag's head coach, Quraban Qurabanov, was very disappointed with Imisli's home field. He said that due to the poor conditions of the pitch, his players needed to use more strength than they should have for one match, and that it would be hard to recover in time for the Champions League game. 

Shahrudin Mahammadaliyev is injured and will not be ready for Wednesday's game. The good news for Qarabag is that the head coach Qurbanov confirmed after the previous game that the goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski is not seriously injured, so he should start against Newcastle. 

Newcastle expected more from their season. In the Champions League, they were two points short of a direct place in the 1/8 final, while in the Premier League, Eddie Howe's team is only a mid-table team. However, recently, there were some signs of encouragement as Newcastle won the last two matches. Last weekend, the Magpies won 3-1 on the road in the FA Cup against Aston Villa. The visitors dominated in the second half after the hosts left with ten players. That was enough for victory, which should provide a major confidence boost before the trip to Baku. 

Newcastle are not playing well this season, but the board still stands behind the manager, Eddie Howe. However, recently, there has been speculation in the English media about his future. Newcastle are big favorite to progress to the next Champions League round, and a possible defeat against Qarabag could prove costly for Howe.  

Newcastle have problems with missing players ahead of the trip to Azerbaijan. They will be without Bruno Guimaraes, Fabian Schar, Valentino Livramento, and Emil Krafth on Wednesday evening. Also, Joelinton, Lewis Miley, Yoane Wissa, and Sven Botman are questionable, and their status will be clearer closer to the kickoff.