Newcastle United vs Benfica

Newcastle United welcome Benfica to St James’ Park for a crucial UEFA Champions League league phase encounter, a fixture that carries a touch of European nostalgia. The two sides have met only twice before in continental competition, both times coming during the 2012–13 Europa League quarter-finals, when Benfica triumphed 4–2 on aggregate after a 3–1 victory in Lisbon and a 1–1 draw in Newcastle. Twelve years on, the Magpies will be eager to exact revenge under the lights of Tyneside. Eddie Howe’s side come into this clash buoyed by a resounding 4–0 away win at Union Saint-Gilloise on Matchday 2—a result that has reignited belief after an inconsistent domestic spell and left them in 11th place after an opening day defeat [LW]. The Magpies will be aiming to record back-to-back wins in the Champions League for the first time since February 2003, when they defeated Bayer Leverkusen twice in succession. While they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Brighton on Sunday, Nick Woltemade scored the club’s only remarkable goal. The 23-year-old German forward is expected to team up with Anthony Gordon and Elanga at the attacking end of Newcastle’s 4—3—3 formation.

For Benfica, this fixture arrives amid mounting European struggles. The Portuguese giants are on a four-match losing streak in the Champions League, and only once in their long history have they endured a longer run — eight consecutive defeats between March 2017 and September 2018. Their domestic dominance in Liga Portugal, where they sit in 3rd place, has not translated onto the European stage. José Mourinho’s first UCL game with the Eagles, upon his return to Benfica, ended in a 1-0 defeat against former club Chelsea. The veteran manager has faced Newcastle 12 times away from home in his career, but his record is modest — just three wins, four draws, and five defeats. Moreover, he has only one victory in his last seven visits (D3 L3), and his most recent trip to the ground ended in a 2–2 draw in April 2021 while managing Tottenham. Statistically, Benfica’s record in England offers little encouragement: they have won just one of their last nine away games against English clubs in European competition (D3 L5), failing to win any of their last four since a 3–1 success at Tottenham in 2014. Vangelis Pavlidis, Heorhiy Sudakov and Dodi Lukébakio could form the attacking trio when Mourinho deploys the 4—3—3 formation once again.