The Magpies plundered five goals inside the first half in Azerbaijan, as Anthony Gordon helped himself to four, with Malick Thiaw also getting on the scoresheet with a header, before Jacob Murphy added the sixth after the break.

Eddie Howe’s side enjoyed a comfortable night at the Azersun Arena, and have left themselves with plenty of breathing room for next week’s return clash on Tyneside.

The North East outfit have enjoyed another adventure in the Champions League so far this term, and it looks set to continue for another few weeks at least, with the tie all but over already.

It was a game packed full of incidents on Wednesday night, and with that in mind, Football Insider picks out three errors that were made by referee Espen Eskas.

Nick Woltemade fortunate amid VAR check for red card

Football Insider revealed last week that Newcastle are looking to offload Nick Woltemade at the end of the season, as things haven’t gone to plan for him since his £69million move from Stuttgart last summer.

Howe opted to drop the big German striker into an unusual attacking midfield role for the win over Qarabag, as he chose to lead with the pacy trio of Gordon, Harvey Barnes and Anthony Elanga at the top of the pitch.

Woltemade showed some neat touches throughout the game in an unfamiliar role, but things could easily have gone sour for him after a challenge that he made during the early stages of the game.

The 24-year-old was penalised for a foul on Pedro Bicalho in the 23rd minute, and replays showed that he planted his studs into the ankle of his opponent.

VAR checked the incident for a potential red card, but quickly decided that the tackle was not worthy of a sending off.

However, it could certainly be argued that Woltemade should at least have been booked for his reckless challenge, and instead he escaped with a free kick as his only punishment.

First Newcastle penalty incredibly harsh

The Magpies’ five-goal salvo in the first half also contained two penalties, with the hosts’ defence at sixes and sevens throughout the opening period.

Gordon coolly converted from the spot on both occasions, and while the second incident was a stonewall penalty, it could certainly be argued that the first decision should not have been given.

Barnes’ shot was blocked by a sliding Matheus Silva in the second phase of a set-piece, and the ball struck the arm of the Qarabag man, which he used to provide his body with support as he slid along the turf.

Silva also had his head turned in the opposite direction when the ball struck him from close range, but Eskaas consulted the pitch-side monitor and awarded the spot-kick to Newcastle.

It was a decision that left Ally McCoist baffled during TNT Sports’ coverage of the game, and it once again highlighted the differing interpretations of the handball law between the Champions League and the Premier League.

Malick Thiaw unlucky to receive yellow card

Thiaw went into the referee’s book for a challenge on the halfway line in the 75th minute, and he could certainly count himself unlucky to have been punished so harshly.

The German’s challenge was not in a dangerous area of the pitch from a Newcastle perspective, and it was little more than a routine foul that is seen all over the pitch during every game.

It was also only Thiaw’s second infringement of the evening, so Eskas could not have decided that he had accumulated too many fouls to avoid a booking.

It ultimately meant little in the final context of the game, but it could potentially become prevalent later in the competition if Thiaw were to face the threat of suspension.