Newcastle will host Benfica in their Champions League clash at St. James' Park on Tuesday in a pivotal match for both teams' aspirations of qualifying.
Newcastle vs Benfica Form and Head to Head Record
Newcastle suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Brighton on Saturday. Prior to that, their form has been inconsistent, winning four, drawing two, and losing three of their previous nine matches.
Benfica secured a 2-0 victory against Chaves in the Portuguese Cup in their most recent game. Jose Mourinho's side have lost both their Champions League matches so far 2-3 vs Qarabag and 0-1 vs Chelsea.
The last two competitive meetings between these two sides was in 2011 in the Europa League, with Benfica progressing 4-2 on aggregate.
Some of the names in that Newcastle team included Papiss Cissé, Jonás Gutiérrez, Yohan Cabaye, and Shola Ameobi coming off the bench.
Newcastle vs Benfica Predicted Lineups
Newcastle (4-3-3): Pope; Burn, Thiaw, Botman, Trippier; Joelinton, Tonali, Guimarães; Gordon, Woltemade, Murphy
Benfica (4-2-3-1): Trubin; Dahl, Silva, Otamendi, Dedic; Barrenechea, Ríos; Aursnes, Sudakov, Lukébakio; Pavlidis
Lineups powered by WhoScored.
Newcastle vs Benfica Team News
Newcastle will be without Wissa, Livramento, and Hall, all sidelined due to injury. Woltemade has been in fine form, scoring in 5 of his last 6 games for Newcastle and is expected to lead the line once again. Murphy could return to the starting eleven, potentially replacing Elanga out wide.
Benfica will be without Silva, Bah, and Bruma through injury. Prestianni is available again after returning from international duty with Argentina's under-20s. Pavlidis should be full of confidence after scoring twice in their last match, and is likely to spearhead the attack. Otamendi and Ríos, rested in the previous game, are expected to return to the starting lineup.
Who are the betting favourites in Newcastle vs Benfica?
Newcaslte are the 4/7 favourites to enact revenge on their 2011 Europa League elimination and get the win on Tuesday. The draw is best odds of 10/3, and Benfica are 19/4 underdogs in this one.
| Newcastle vs Benfica Odds | Best Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Newcastle Win | 4/7 | bet365 |
| Draw | 10/3 | Star Sports |
| Benfica Win | 19/4 | Bet Victor |
Odds last updated at 10:00am Tuesday 21st October.
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Newcastle vs Benfica Match Prediction
After a home defeat against Barcelona, Newcastle defeated Union Saint-Gilloise 4-0. Domestically, Newcastle have been somewhat inconsistent and seem to struggle to score goals (only twice have they scored 2 or more in a single game), something that could be solved by Woltemade's form.
Benfica beat GD Chaves 2-0 in the Portuguese Cup last Friday, but they have yet to put in a convincing performance. José Mourinho's men have managed to be competitive in terms of results recently, but they're still a lot of room to improve.
José Mourinho has always struggled at St James' Park, winning only three of 21 matches there. The Special One will be looking to secure his fourth victory at the ground, but it will be no easy task, especially given Benfica's recent form. However, they will be hoping to bring at least one point home.
Score Prediction: Newcastle 1-1 Benfica
Newcastle vs Benfica Bet Builder Tip
Our bet builder tips for Newcastle vs Benfica include Nick Woltemade to score, Enzo Barrenechea to commit 2+ fouls, and Richard Rios 1+ shot.
At the time of publishing it is a best price of 5/1 with bet365!
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Nick Woltemade to score anytime: Woltemade has scored in all three home starts for Newcastle and we are backing him to extend that hot streak on Tuesday.
Enzo Barrenechea to commit 2+ fouls: The Argentine is averaging 1.8 fouls per game this season and comes up against a Newcastle midfield trio who average 5.46 fouls drawn per 90.
Richard Rios 1+ shot: The Colombian midfielder is averaging 3.07 shots per game domestically and has managed four shots in his first two UCL starts for Benfica. Rios is also on free kicks for his side giving him a great opportunity to hit this shot line.
