Supporters of Newcastle have spent the past few days discussing on social media their trip to Baku for the first Champions League play-off match against Qarabag.
According to Idman.biz, travel logistics have been the main concern among fans. One supporter joked: “Good luck to anyone trying to work out how to get from Newcastle to Baku. Bonus points if you manage it in fewer than three flights.”
Attention has also focused on the size of the travelling support. Fan and YouTube creator Adam Pearson said he had already departed for Azerbaijan and claimed more than 2,000 Newcastle supporters are set to attend the game.
Many comments also praised the host city. One supporter who previously worked in Azerbaijan wrote: “Baku is a great city. It’s also a popular destination for major sporting events, although getting there isn’t exactly quick or easy,” while recommending several local pubs to visiting fans.
The opposition has sparked equal curiosity. In one discussion thread a supporter described Qarabag as “a team with strong character and quick attacks”, adding that their main weakness is “corners and free-kicks”. The same fan suggested Qarabag “perform well against certain types of opponents”, but Newcastle’s style could be particularly uncomfortable for Gurban Gurbanov’s side.
Despite optimism, some supporters warned against complacency: “They drew 2-2 with Chelsea this season and reached the play-offs, so we have to respect them and field a proper line-up or we could embarrass ourselves. In Baku Qarabag are genuinely strong at home.”
The first leg between Qarabag and Newcastle will take place on Wednesday, 18 February, at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium in Baku, kicking off at 21:45 local time.
