Eddie Howe would rather maintain the rhythm of his Newcastle United players than make sweeping changes when they host Qarabag on Tuesday, despite the tie being all but over.

Newcastle crushed Qarabag 6-1 in the first leg of their Champions League play-off tie last week, having led 5-0 at half-time in Baku.

They were only the second team to lead by five goals at half-time in a Champions League knockout-stage game, after Bayern Munich against Porto in the 2014-15 quarter-finals.

It was the 301st instance of a team winning by five or more goals in the first leg of a two-legged tie in major European competitions, and each of the previous 300 have progressed.

Despite being all but assured of a first last-16 appearance in the club's history, Newcastle will approach Tuesday's game with the intention of winning. 

"We'll look at the squad and try to pick a strong team," Howe told reporters. "We want to win the game; that's the first target. We want to keep a good rhythm with the players. 

"It's a delicate balance between rotating the squad and making sure everyone's fresh and also making sure players don't lose rhythm and we don't lose the good feeling we've had."

Howe also hopes Sven Botman and Yoane Wissa could be involved, with the former having missed three games with a back issue and the latter being absent for four matches.

"We hope they'll be involved," Howe said. "We'll see how they are when they wake up tomorrow, but fingers crossed, they will be."

Eddie Howe speaks to the media ahead of tomorrow's visit of Qarabağ to St. James' Park 

"The atmosphere around the squad has been really strong in the last few weeks. It's been a really good response to a difficult period for us. Ready for tomorrow's game." pic.twitter.com/vkg0hdb0Q2

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) February 23, 2026

Newcastle could make club history on Tuesday, given their most comprehensive aggregate victory in a major European tie was 10-2 against Royal Antwerp in the 1994-95 UEFA Cup.

And Howe wants the Magpies to maintain the lofty standards they have set in the Champions League this season.

He said: "There have been some great performances in the Champions League, and we've saved our best for the competition.

"A lot was made of the result against Qarabag in the first leg, but for me, it was the performance and the manner of it, and the hunger we showed. 

"That's the level I want us to try and attain, or get as close as we can, as often as possible."