Sandro Tonali got the ball rolling for Newcastle United as they beat Qarabag to secure a place in the Champions League round of 16.
Tonali scored the first goal as Newcastle United beat Qarabag 3-2 at St James’ Park on a strange night of Champions League action.
Indeed, the tie was never really in danger given Eddie Howe’s side had won 6-1 out in Baku last week, but Newcastle did get sloppy after racing into a two-goal lead on the night.
Still, they ultimately breezed into the round of 16 and UEFA’s Technical Observer Group praised Tonali’s performance.
UEFA Technical Observer Group name Sandro Tonali Man of the Match
It was the former AC Milan midfielder who bagged the opening goal. Though it was scrappy in the end, Tonali himself created the goal by initially driving into the box from a relatively deep position.
Until that point, it had sounded like a rather flat evening at St James’, surely explained by the sheer size of the first half lead.
Of his outing, the group said (via UEFA’s official website): “He retained possession a lot, controlled the centre, made good passes, had lots of energy and scored his goal at an important time.”
This season’s Technical Observer Group is made up of names such as Sir Gareth Southgate, Rafa Benitez and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Given that Bruno Guimaraes is injured for the foreseeable future at Newcastle, it was vitally important that Tonali stepped up.
Sandro Tonali’s statistics for Newcastle United vs Qarabag
Tonali has been in poor form for Newcastle in recent weeks but certainly turned on the style on Tuesday night.
Clearly, there will be tougher tests to come and no one should get carried away just yet.
However, you can only beat what’s in front of you, and Tonali definitely did that.
As per FotMob data, he amassed 96 touches while creating three chances and scoring a goal. Defensively, he made two tackles, one interception and three ball recoveries.
His performance was at least an indication that Tonali could get back to his best before the season is over.