Newcastle United vs Benfica Preview

St. James’ Park prepares to witness a compelling continental encounter as Newcastle United welcome Benfica for what promises to be a captivating Champions League clash on Monday evening. The Magpies have shown encouraging signs of form with three victories in their last five outings, demonstrating their capability across multiple competitions. Newcastle’s recent run includes impressive wins over Nottingham Forest, a stunning 4-0 Champions League victory over Union Saint-Gilloise that showcased their European credentials, and a commanding 4-1 triumph over Bradford City in the Carabao Cup. However, their recent 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion and an earlier 2-1 loss to Arsenal highlight that defensive consistency remains a concern that could be exploited by quality European opposition.

Benfica arrive on Tyneside carrying mixed fortunes from their recent campaign, displaying the unpredictable nature that has characterized their season thus far. As Águias have managed two victories in their last five encounters, including a crucial 2-0 victory over GD Chaves in the Taça de Portugal and a narrow 2-1 success against Gil Vicente in domestic competition. However, their European ambitions suffered a significant setback with a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in their previous Champions League outing, while they were held to frustrating draws against FC Porto and Rio Ave that highlighted their inconsistent attacking output. The Portuguese giants will be seeking to rediscover their continental form and exploit any defensive vulnerabilities that Newcastle have displayed in recent weeks.

The historical context adds intrigue to this encounter, with both clubs sharing memories from their previous European meetings over a decade ago. Their last encounters in the Europa League during 2013 produced contrasting results, with Newcastle securing a valuable 1-1 draw at home before Benfica claimed a commanding 3-1 victory in Lisbon to progress in the competition. Football enthusiasts across the globe can witness this fascinating continental battle at 20:00 GMT, with comprehensive coverage available through multiple broadcasting platforms. UK supporters can follow the action on discovery+ and Amazon Prime Video, while German fans can tune into DAZN Germany or Sky Go. Portuguese viewers have access through Sport TV, and Spanish audiences can watch on Movistar+ and Movistar Liga de Campeones.

Newcastle may set up in a 4-3-3 formation with several injury concerns affecting their squad depth. Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento and Yoane Wissa are all ruled out and won’t feature, while Woltemade has been in excellent form with 5 goals in his last 6 games. Jacob Murphy could return to the starting eleven after replacing Elanga out wide.

Benfica could deploy a 4-2-3-1 system with Prestianni back available after his spell with the U20 Argentina squad to boost attacking options. Pavlidis should lead the line after his decisive brace last Friday, with Otamendi and Rios both rested last time around and expected to return to the starting lineup.

Possible Line-ups

Newcastle (4-3-3)

Pope, Trippier, Burn, Botman, Thiaw, Tonali, Guimarães, Woltemade, Murphy, Gordon, Joelinton

Benfica (4-2-3-1)

Trubin, Dahl, Dedic, Otamendi, Rios, Pavlidis, Lukébakio, Sudakov, Barrenechea, Silva, Aursnes

Newcastle United Form ⚫

Team	Result	Opponent	Competition	Date
Newcastle United	❌ 1-2	Brighton & Hove Albion	English Premier League	Oct 18, 2025
Newcastle United	✅ 2-0	Nottingham Forest	English Premier League	Oct 5, 2025
Newcastle United	✅ 4-0	Union St.-Gilloise	Champions League	Oct 1, 2025
Newcastle United	❌ 1-2	Arsenal	English Premier League	Sep 28, 2025
Newcastle United	✅ 4-1	Bradford City	English Carabao Cup	Sep 24, 2025

Benfica Form 🦅

Team	Result	Opponent	Competition	Date
Benfica	✅ 2-0	GD Chaves	Taça de Portugal	Oct 17, 2025
Benfica	🤝 0-0	FC Porto	Portuguese Primeira Liga	Oct 5, 2025
Benfica	❌ 0-1	Chelsea	Champions League	Sep 30, 2025
Benfica	✅ 2-1	Gil Vicente	Portuguese Primeira Liga	Sep 26, 2025
Benfica	🤝 1-1	Rio Ave	Portuguese Primeira Liga	Sep 23, 2025

Head to Head Record 📊

Home Team	Result	Away Team	Competition	Date
Newcastle United	1-1	Benfica	Europa League	Apr 11, 2013
Benfica	3-1	Newcastle United	Europa League	Apr 4, 2013

TV Listings / Streaming 📺

Country	Channel
United Kingdom	discovery+, Amazon Prime Video, TNT Sports 2
Germany	DAZN Germany, Sky Go, Amazon Prime Video
Spain	Movistar+, Movistar Liga de Campeones 7
Portugal	Sport TV Multiscreen, Sport TV5
France	myCANAL, Canal+ Live 3
Italy	SKY Go Italia, Sky Sport 257
USA	Paramount+, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video
Canada	DAZN Canada, Amazon Prime Video
Netherlands	Ziggo Sport 5
Australia	Stan Sport