Anthony Gordon delivered one of the most stunning individual performances in UEFA Champions League history on Wednesday evening, scoring four first-half goals as Newcastle United demolished Qarabag FK 6-1 in the first leg of their knockout play-off at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium in Baku.

The 24-year-old England international needed just three minutes to open the scoring, setting the tone for a ruthless display from Eddie Howe's side. Defender Malick Thiaw doubled Newcastle's lead shortly after with a well-placed header from Kieran Trippier's cross, netting his first Champions League goal for the club.

Gordon then took center stage once more, converting a penalty in the 32nd minute before rounding the Qarabag goalkeeper to complete his hat trick. The former Everton forward was far from finished, however, stepping up to convert another penalty in first-half stoppage time to make it five goals before the break. The relentless first-half onslaught left the Azerbaijani side shell-shocked and the tie effectively over as a contest.

Jacob Murphy added a sixth for the Magpies in the second half with a deflected effort, while Elvin Cafarquliyev managed a consolation goal for the hosts, but it was little more than a footnote in a night that belonged entirely to Gordon.

With his four-goal haul, Gordon became only the second player in Champions League history to score four times in the first half of a match, and the first to achieve the feat in the knockout stages of the competition. The performance also saw him surpass Newcastle legend Alan Shearer's previous club record of six goals in a single Champions League season, with Gordon now sitting on ten European goals for the campaign.

The result puts Newcastle in a commanding position ahead of the second leg at St James' Park on Tuesday, February 24, with the Magpies virtually certain of progressing to the round of 16 where they could face either Chelsea or Barcelona.

Newcastle's dominant victory was one of several notable results on a dramatic night of Champions League action. In Norway, Bodo/Glimt continued their remarkable debut campaign in the competition by stunning Inter Milan 3-1 at the Aspmyra Stadion. Sondre Brunstad Fet opened the scoring in the 20th minute before Pio Esposito equalized for the Italian giants. However, second-half goals from Jens Petter Hauge and Kasper Hogh gave the Norwegian minnows a significant advantage heading into the return leg in Milan.

Elsewhere, Club Brugge and Atletico de Madrid played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in Belgium, while Bayer Leverkusen secured a professional 2-0 away victory against Olympiacos in Athens.

The second legs of the knockout play-offs are scheduled for February 24 and 25, with the draw for the round of 16 set to take place on February 27. For Gordon and Newcastle, the focus now shifts to maintaining their momentum in what is shaping up to be a historic European campaign for the club.