Historic four-goal haul in 45 minutes! Gordon becomes only the second player in Champions League history to achieve this feat

The first Champions League playoff match in Azerbaijan turned into a personal showcase for Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon. The Englishman netted four goals before the halftime whistle. Thanks to this sensational feat, Anthony Gordon has etched his name into the annals of European football history in golden letters.

Details: Anthony Gordon has become only the second player ever in UEFA Champions League history to score four goals in the first half of a single match. Until tonight, this extraordinary record belonged solely to Brazilian striker Luiz Adriano, who scored a similar four-goal haul for Shakhtar Donetsk against Belarusian side BATE Borisov in October 2014. More than 11 years later, Gordon has matched what once seemed an unreachable milestone.

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On top of this, Gordon's night began with another historic moment: he scored Newcastle's fastest-ever goal in Champions League history. Finding the net in the opening minutes, Anthony surpassed the mark set by legendary Alan Shearer. The previous record had stood for 23 years—Shearer scored in the 5th minute against Bayer Leverkusen back in 2003. Gordon raised the bar even higher, inscribing his name alongside the club’s all-time top scorer.

Now all eyes are on whether Anthony can break the record for the most goals in a single Champions League match (5 goals), a record jointly held by Lionel Messi, Luiz Adriano, and Erling Haaland.

By the 45th minute, the Magpies were leading 5-0 (in addition to Gordon’s four, Malick Thiaw got on the scoresheet), effectively settling any questions about the outcome before the second half even began.

Reminder: Newcastle covered the longest distance in the tournament’s history among English clubs.