An impressive draw at Paris St-Germain in the final week of the league phase was not enough for Newcastle to earn a top-eight spot. It means their route to the last 16 will be via Qarabag and Baku - a 2,529-mile journey. The Azerbaijani outfit's fast start to league phase gave them enough of a cushion to cling on to a play-off spot, despite just one win in their previous six Champions League games. Did you know?

Source: BBC February 18, 2026 09:53 UTC