Newcastle’s European Night: A 4-0 Triumph and Karabakh’s Shockwave in the UCL
1 octobre 2025
Newcastle Breaks Through in Europe with a Commanding Win
Newcastle United secured their first UEFA Champions League victory of the season by thrashing Union Saint-Gilloise 4-0 in the second group-stage match, played on Wednesday in Belgium.
The Magpies’ win owed much to new signing Nik Volltemade, who opened the scoring in the 17th minute, and to Anthony Gordon, who converted twice from penalties in the 43rd and 64th minutes. Harvey Barnes wrapped it up with a late strike at the 81st minute.
With three points, Newcastle sit level with the Belgians, who had beaten Eindhoven 3-1 in the opening round.
Newcastle had begun their continental campaign with a 1-2 defeat to Barcelona, and while this win could be significant for morale, it also underscored the team’s inconsistency in the domestic league where they sit mid-table after a handful of results.
Howe handed starting roles to Volltemade and the returning Anthony Elanga alongside Gordon, as the English side seeks rhythm after the departure of Alexander Isak to Liverpool.
Volltemade’s goal, his third for the club since joining from Stuttgart for a club-record fee reported around 92 million USD, came from a Taurnald pass that found the net in the 17th minute.
Elanga earned a first-half penalty after a foul, and Gordon coolly slotted home to double the lead (43). A second penalty arrived after a VAR review for a handball, which Gordon converted again (64).
Barnes then added a fourth on the counter in the 81st minute, sealing a memorable night for Newcastle.
Saint-Gilloise played the match at Anderlecht’s stadium temporarily because their home ground did not meet UEFA standards, a hiccup that briefly underscored the logistical quirks of European competition.
That defeat ended Saint-Gilloise’s long unbeaten run across all competitions, a reminder that Europe can bite back when a team is caught napping away from home.
In the other game of the evening, Azerbaijan’s Karabakh continued their surprising run by beating Copenhagen 2-0, moving to six points after an opening-round win over Benfica (3-2).
Abdullah Al-Zubair opened the scoring in the 28th minute, with Emmanuel Ade adding the second in the 83rd, cementing Karabakh’s reputation as a dark horse in the group. The win leaves Karabakh fourth on six points, while Copenhagen sit with a single point in a lowly 26th place in the standings.
What a night for the competition: giants stumble, underdogs rise, and the group table gets messier by the hour.
Punchline 1: If goals were math, Newcastle just solved for X, and X stood for ‘more goals, please’.
Punchline 2: In football as in life, sometimes the only thing more onside than a striker is a VAR decision you actually understand.
