Camilo Duran is set to lead the line for Qarabag here, and he has been an effective player in the Champions League for the Azerbaijani side with four goals across his eight appearances in the competition.

He’s achieved this tally from 18 shots in total, working out to an average of 2.71 shots per 90. He’s had 2+ shots in each of his last five Champions League appearances, with one of those games seeing him have four shots.

Duran is Qarabag’s top scorer in the Champions League so far this season, and should be central to their efforts of causing an upset in this first leg clash. Newcastle haven’t looked secure away from home all season, with Eddie Howe’s side notably conceding 17 goals across their 13 away games in the Premier League.

Furthermore, Qarabag have proven to be quite a difficult side to beat at home with only one loss from their four home matches in the league phase - including holding Chelsea to a 2-2 draw with an xG of 1.63. Duran had two shots in that clash, and managed two efforts as Qarabag were thrashed 6-0 by Liverpool last time out. 

Lewis Hall is making a serious case to be involved in the England squad for the World Cup in the summer. Left back is a position that is far from settled in Thomas Tuchel’s mind, and with O’Reilly moving into midfield more often for Manchester City now - there could be room for Hall on the plane if he can maintain this level of performance, and stay fit.

Hall has drawn five fouls across just three starts in the Champions League this season, working out to an average of 1.32 per 90. This record is even more promising in the Premier League, where Hall is winning 1.66 fouls per 90. These promising foul won records are directly tied to how Hall likes to play; he’s very forward-thinking and expertly finds a way out of tight areas. He’s also deceptively strong, despite having a small frame, making him a tough player to knock off the ball.

He’ll be up against Leandro Andrade and Matheus Silva down his side of the pitch, who are combining to commit 1.59 fouls per 90 in the Champions League this season. Qarabag can be passive at times, but Newcastle are one of the strongest sides in the Premier League when it comes to winning fouls, and Hall is an ideal candidate to be hauled down at least once here. 

Qarabag have been one of the most entertaining sides to follow in the Champions League this season, with six of their eight league phase matches seeing 3+ goals. They saw 3+ goals in both of their matches against English opposition, holding Chelsea to a 2-2 draw and being on the end of a 6-0 battering against Liverpool.

Qarabag have lost just one of their four home matches in the Champions League so far this season, with those games producing 17 goals (4.25 per game). I think Qarabag can contribute to the overall goal count, Newcastle haven’t been secure enough on the road this season, and I always think they look much weaker when Bruno Guimaraes is out of the side.

This is a free hit for Qarabag, and they will find it much more difficult to cause Newcastle problems in the away tie, so I think they will approach this first leg tie with a degree of freedom, which can see them get on the scoresheet, and encourage a high goal count overall. The league phase saw an average of nearly 4.0 goals per game, so this competition is the perfect one when it comes to backing goals.

Newcastle have won 40 corners across their eight league phase matches in the Champions League, working out to an average of 5.00 corners per game. 

It’s been a regular weapon in Newcastle’s armoury since Eddie Howe took over, and their numbers in the Premier League are just as appealing, with Newcastle averaging 6.92 corners per game. 

This stays pretty steady when looking at their away matches (6.38 corners per game), showing that Newcastle are still capable of a high corner count on the road despite their general form away from home. 

Only Bodo/Glimt (63) have conceded more corners than Qarabag (58) in the Champions League this season. This works out to an average of 7.25 corners per game, so it may be worth exploring higher lines for the Newcastle corner count in this clash, with it being a central part of Eddie Howe’s approach, and an obvious weakness in Qarabag’s game. 

I was impressed with Qarabag's organisation when they played Chelsea in the Champions League. They managed to hold Chelsea to a 2-2 draw when the sides clashed in the league phase, with Qarabag’s home advantage playing a crucial role in acheiving that.

The conditions that Qarabag usually play in are harsh and will take some time for Newcastle to adapt to, especially seeing as Eddie Howe’s side have struggled on the road this term. Newcastle have only won three of their 13 away matches in the Premier League this season, conceding 17 goals across those matches.

Qarabag only lost one of their four home games in the league phase of the competition, with those matches producing 17 goals (4.25 per game). This sets up this first leg clash to be an entertaining encounter, where Qarabag may have an unexpected edge given their strength at home in the Champions League this term, and Newcastle’s issues on the road throughout the campaign.