Newcastle welcome José Mourinho’s Benfica to St. James’ Park in this UEFA Champions League (UCL) clash, looking to finally find the kind of consistency that’s been missing from their campaign so far.
Softfootball reported Eddie Howe’s men bounced back from that 2-1 defeat to Barcelona on matchday one with an emphatic 4-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise, but once again they’re searching for a response after losing 2-1 to Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday. It’s been a strange pattern for the Magpies, up one week, down the next, as they’ve yet to stitch together two straight victories this term. In fact, Newcastle haven’t won consecutive UCL games since February 2003.
Doing so now might not come easy, considering their tendency to fluctuate at home. Their 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest means they’ve alternated between wins and losses in all six of their home fixtures this season (W3, L3).
Benfica’s Form and Mourinho’s Task
Benfica aren’t exactly flying either. The Portuguese giants have managed just two wins from their last five matches (D2, L1) and opened their UCL league-phase campaign with a narrow 1-0 loss to Chelsea and a 3-2 loss to Qarabag
Still, with José Mourinho in the dugout, a man who knows English football inside out, there’s always that sense anything can happen. Friday’s 2-0 away win against Chaves should at least boost confidence a bit for the two-time European Cup winners. Yet, the numbers don’t lie: Benfica have lost their last two UCL proper away fixtures, and their away form in England isn’t great either.
Head-to-Head Stats
Benfica are unbeaten in both previous meetings with Newcastle (W1, D1), having come out on top during the Europa League quarter-final back in 2012/13. However, the Eagles have won just once in their last nine European away trips to English sides (D3, L5).
For Newcastle, Portuguese opposition hasn’t been kind; they are winless in their last five games against teams from Portugal (D3, L2), But manager Eddie howe has come out to say in a post made by the team via X that his team loves the big Champions league game and they wont be phase by their past achievements.
He said:
We love these games. The Barcelona game here was so close for us and it could have been a very different outcome. We’ve been in that position a lot this season where the results could have gone either way. We’ve been very competitive, we were competitive that night and this has a similar feel under the lights here. The atmosphere will be electric, I have no doubt. I hope our performance mirrors that crowd energy.
Team News
Newcastle:
Lewis Hall (hamstring), Tino Livramento (knee), and Yoane Wissa (knee) are all sidelined, while Joelinton could return after going off at half-time against Brighton.
Benfica:
Mourinho will again be without Alexander Bah, Bruma, and Nuno Félix through injury, but the likes of Vangelis Pavlidis and Dodi Lukebakio are available and in strong form.
Possible Lineups
Newcastle (4-3-3):
Nick Pope (GK), Kieran Trippier, Malick Thiaw, Sven Botman, Daniel Burn, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, Joelinton, Jacob Murphy, Nick Woltemade, Anthony Gordon.
Benfica (4-2-3-1):
Anatoliy Trubin (GK), Amar Dedic, Antonio Silva, Nicolas Otamendi, Samuel Dahl, Richard Rios, Enzo Barrenechea, Dodi Lukebakio, Fredrik Aursnes, Georgiy Sudakov, Vangelis Pavlidis.
Key Stats
Four of Newcastle’s last five games produced over 2.5 goals, the same as each of their last three UCL outings. The Magpies have lost their last three UCL home games by a single goal margin; Benfica conceded exactly once in three of their last five matches, and none of Benfica’s last four away fixtures saw both teams score.
Players to Watch:
Anthony Gordon is in red-hot form, scoring three times in Newcastle’s two UCL matches and once for England during the break. Interestingly, his last seven club goals came after the 40th minute. On the other side, Vangelis Pavlidis has netted four in his last four for Benfica, with three of those coming before the 30th minute.
Softfootball’s Prediction
This one feels tight. Benfica have the pedigree, Mourinho’s experience, and Pavlidis’ sharpness up front, but Newcastle’s home crowd and attacking rhythm could just tip the balance. Expect energy, mistakes, and moments of madness.
Prediction: Newcastle 2–1 Benfica
