Anthony Gordon etched his name into the Champions League record books on Wednesday night, scoring four goals in a breathtaking first-half display as Newcastle United dismantled Qarabag 6-1 in the first leg of their knockout play-off tie at the Tofik Bakhramov Stadium in Baku.

The 24-year-old winger needed just three minutes to open the scoring, setting the tone for what would become a historic evening in front of 28,861 stunned spectators. Malick Thiaw doubled the advantage with a powerful header in the eighth minute, and from that point forward, Newcastle never looked back.

Gordon was utterly ruthless in the opening 45 minutes. After his early strike, he converted two penalties in the 32nd and 45th minutes, and added a clinical third from open play in the 33rd minute by rounding goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski before slotting home. By the time the half-time whistle blew, Newcastle led 5-0, and the tie was effectively over as a contest.

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, joining Luiz Adriano, who achieved the feat for Shakhtar Donetsk against BATE Borisov in October 2014. Gordon also took his European tally to 10 goals this season, shattering Alan Shearer's long-standing Newcastle record of six Champions League goals in a single campaign.

The second half was a more measured affair. Elvin Jafarguliyev pulled one back for the Azerbaijani hosts in the 54th minute with a well-taken effort, giving the home supporters a rare moment to cheer. Jacob Murphy restored Newcastle's five-goal cushion in the 72nd minute with a deflected strike that left Kochalski with no chance, sealing the 6-1 scoreline.

Despite the emphatic result, there was a moment of drama as Newcastle captain Kieran Trippier and Gordon had to be separated by teammates as they walked off the pitch at half-time. The disagreement appeared to center on Gordon taking the second penalty, though manager Eddie Howe played down the incident after the final whistle.

Howe was full of praise for his star forward. "He could have had more, but it was a very good display," the Newcastle boss said. The result leaves the Magpies with one foot firmly in the Champions League last 16, where a tie against either Chelsea or Barcelona awaits.

The evening's action across Europe provided further drama. Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt produced the shock of the round by beating Inter Milan 3-1 at home, with goals from Sondre Brunstad Fet, Jens Petter Hauge, and Kasper Hogh stunning the Italian champions. Club Brugge and Atletico Madrid played out a thrilling 3-3 draw, with Christos Tzolis scoring an 89th-minute equalizer for the Belgian side. Bayer Leverkusen secured a comfortable 2-0 away win against Olympiacos in Piraeus.

The second legs are scheduled for February 24 and 25, though Newcastle's passage to the next round already looks like a formality after Gordon's extraordinary night in Baku.