'We want to turn these moments into history'

Newcastle United have come a long way.

The team's 2,529-mile trek to Baku is the furthest distance ever travelled by an English side in the Champions League.

But Eddie Howe will be hoping the visitors make history in a more meaningful way on the field as they prepare to face Qarabag in the first leg of their last 16 play-off tie on Wednesday.

"It means everything to us," Howe said. "You look at the history of the club - this is a slightly new opportunity for us to get to the last 16.

"It would be an incredible achievement and we're trying to embrace it in that way and look at the excitement and the possibility rather than feel too much of the burden and the pressure of the occasion."

Qarabag were hammered 6-0 by Liverpool at Anfield in their last European outing, but Newcastle can ill-afford to be complacent as they bid to reach the last 16 for the first time since qualifying for the second group stage in 2003.

Gurban Gurbanov's team have only lost once at home in the Champions League this season for a reason.

The Azerbaijani champions drew 2-2 against Chelsea and defeated Eintracht Frankfurt and Copenhagen at the Tofig Bahramov Republican Stadium.

Qarabag even beat Benfica away from home.

No wonder, then, that Howe vowed to play his strongest team as Newcastle look to take control of the tie before the return leg at St James' Park next week.

"We want to turn these moments into history and into moments people talk about for a long time," Howe added.