Following on from our last-gasp victory over Fulham we now have the task of trying to overcome a 3-1 first-leg deficit against a Benfica side who look rather handy.
It’s a difficult task but not unachievable thanks to an away goal scored by Papiss Cisse last Thursday. Unfortunately for us though, two lapses in concentration, or defensive howlers if you prefer, have left us with work to do if we are to reach the Semi-Final of the Europa League. If we can get past this one it has to go down as one of our best nights in recent years such is the scale of the task at hand.
A full house at St James’ Park will pretty much guarantee that the lads have vocal backing throughout the match. When backs are against the wall the folk of Tyneside tend to come out fighting and Benfica can expect a raucous atmosphere inside the ground. An early goal in favour of the home side will only serve to increase the volume levels.
United will have to go to battle without several first-team players missing through injury and through being ineligible to play in this competition for us. However on the plus side, for tonight anyway, we have Hatem Ben Arfa available after recovering sufficiently from a hamstring injury earlier than expected. As a further boost in general, United will be boosted by the return of several more first-team players ahead of the visit of Sunderland on Sunday.
For details of exactly how many injuries we are carrying, some detail about the match along with some stats and facts about this game and our participation in Europe in general, then why not click here and read my match preview of the game if you haven’t already done so?
The game itself is being shown live on what was formerly known as Liverpool TV but is now simply referred to as ITV4. That means that a lot of those who weren’t able to grab tickets to the game will be able to watch it live on the box. It’s also scheduled for live broadcast in lots of overseas countries but although it’s easily accessible there will still be people who need to watch it via a stream, so if you happen to find a good stream then please feel free to share it by leaving a link in the ‘comments’ section below.
Team news will be added at the bottom of this article and will be detailed in full as and when it becomes available. I’ll be at work and will be missing the game so once again it will be Big Dave who will be filling my boots and providing you with the teamsheets.
And that is just about that. Now it’s over to the ones that can make or break the night. Will we have more magical moments on Tyneside this evening? Or will the staff at St James’ Park be packing away the Europa League banners for an as yet unspecified amount of time?
Howay the lads!
Newcastle: Krul; Simpson, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Haidara; Bigirimana, Cabaye (c), Anita, Gutierrez; Sissoko; Cisse.
Subs: Elliot, Perch, Gosling, Marveaux, Ben Arfa, Campbell, Shola Ameobi
Benfica: Artur, Luisao, Garay, Almeida, Gaitan, Matic, Perez, Lima, John, Salvio, Melgarego
Subs: Lopes, Cardoza, Aimar, Pereira, Rodrigo, Jardel, Gomes.
LETS FUCKING GO
Newkie(Quote)
Strolla
Big Dave(Quote)
Get in yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
KIMTOON(Quote)
Thank fuk Benny never gave up on that
Big Dave(Quote)
Good early positive subs by Pardew.
Cisse needs to calm down a bit like!.
Jonas has been class again tonight and dare I say it, if Willo played this well everytime I’d be happy to keep him as 4th choice.
FUCKING COME ON!!!!! Brilliantly Frustrating CISSE!!!!!
Dare to dream!!
Sharpy17(Quote)
Cabaye is pure filth – if u stop him, he will kick you
M(Quote)
There’s **** Cisse showing the numpty contingent up AGAIN
Pootle(Quote)
How many of us were screaming at Shola for nicking the ball off Ben Arfa lol.
I was screaming so I can only imagine the volume coming from JJ!
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Micheal @143 ,Not that bad apparently 😉
KIMTOON(Quote)
COMOOOONNNNNN
HBA39(Quote)
Come on 😀 😀 we can do it
Big Dave(Quote)
one more!
M(Quote)
penalty all day long you ****
Newkie(Quote)
fuking cheating *******
Big Dave(Quote)
How much clearer does it have to be
KIMTOON(Quote)
how the fricking frick is that a foul?
M(Quote)
Don’t think we’ve ever really seen Marv and HBA together
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Sublime pass that from Benny,Marv just couldn’t connect
KIMTOON(Quote)
aswell as Jonas being a work horse I would add Cisse to that the guy never stops trying,
Bad luck Strolla 😀
Big Dave(Quote)
Fuk we are getting well into them
Big Dave(Quote)
We WILL get another I can feel it
KIMTOON(Quote)
Dave yeah Cisse has ran his socks off ,pity about the 2 os goals.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Fuckkkkk
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Spuds score into extra time 😯
KIMTOON(Quote)
what this **** YANGA MBIWA DOUBLE MISTAKES
HBA39(Quote)
C’mon lads it’s not mission impossible
KIMTOON(Quote)
willo 🙁
Big Dave(Quote)
dodgy dodgy Yanga. every game the same
M(Quote)
noooooooooo no long balls keep hold of it 👿
KIMTOON(Quote)
Come on lads
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Papiss has really problem with the offside
HBA39(Quote)
Time wasting gets
KIMTOON(Quote)
Cabaye looks wiped. He’s been playing quarterback most the game. reckon he’s carrying an injury
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
**** sake benny, think that was the moment
Newkie(Quote)
BENNY SO CLOSE 🙄
KIMTOON(Quote)
going by williamson as if he isnt there
buddy(Quote)
so so so nervy
buddy(Quote)
filthy side this, another set piece. who we give it to?
No fucking yellow of course cause he’s already on one. Ref has bailed on this.
Newkie(Quote)
how fackin good in marvvvv
buddy(Quote)
MEH
KIMTOON(Quote)
yup knew it
Newkie(Quote)
Stand and fucking watch
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
SHITTT
HBA39(Quote)
Sissoko hesitation, should have hooned it.
Newkie(Quote)
**** OFF JUST **** OFF
KIMTOON(Quote)
****. Well at least they gave it a go. Can’t fault the desire in the end. Was the right idea to keep it tight in 1st and go for it in the 2nd but we just lost momentum after 80mins.
sjp14(Quote)
If Cisse hadn’t been in an offside position he probably wouldn’t have been able to reach either of them anyway. So I don’t see what the big deal is.
Is that a goal in each of the last five games for Cisse?
Pootle(Quote)
Well that was torture. We were close and loved the entertainers style play after Arfa and Marveaux came on. Scary forward line and I hope with a more mobile defence we can do well next year.
griff(Quote)
Can’t fault their effort tonight.
It was the two goals we gifted them in the first leg that cost us really.
Pootle(Quote)
if only Bennys shot had gone in eh
KIMTOON(Quote)
Can’t blame Cisse for the offside goals. He still is scoring a goal a game in the last couple of months.
griff(Quote)
First there was the frustration. Then the anxiety. Then the hope. The briefest of joys.
Now here comes the depression- why does this last the longest?
sjp14(Quote)
Pootle-5 in his last 5 home games I think mate. Bodes well for the mackem game anyway, well, other than Cabages performance I’d say.
Newkie(Quote)
Really the game was lost by the individual mistakes at their place. It was way too much of an ask to expect to win 2-0 and not open ourselves to the counter attack.
sjp14(Quote)
SJP14-Only last til sunday when we destroy the mackems
Newkie(Quote)
fuking gutted 😕 but im still proud of the team for getting this far
Big Dave(Quote)
Pootle @199 totally agree and yes Cisse doing well considering he’s meant to be **** 😉
KIMTOON(Quote)
Cannae fault the lads. Ran themselves into the ground, and I don’t think any of them could have given any more.
We were playing with arguably half our team missing (Colo, Debuchy, Tiote, Gouffy, mostly Ben Arfa, Santon) and still gave a team that is unbeaten in 35(!) a massive scare.
Well done lads, well done Pards. Bring on the scum.
blip(Quote)
Yes it was a bridge too far Pootle. We could of provided we made no mistakes. I was encouraged by tonights defence. Willy scares me but it was decent. It was more a case of not being able to put the ball in the net. Arfa knew he should have done better with his chance. Cabeye also. I am still very proud of the lads!
griff(Quote)
Newkie , Cabages 😆 😆 😆 😆
KIMTOON(Quote)
P.S. How good is Haidara? Definitely first choice for me now, make Santon work for that LB slot.
blip(Quote)
@Kimtoon: His tap in was hardly magic. He really needed that goal to stave off criticism. I think even with it he was very poor tonight. Not aware where he is in relation to the last defender.
We were only ever capable of 1 goal today the big question was how many the Benfica were going to score.
Thought Benfica looked very drilled and deliberate. they came not to dominate but played a text book strategy that a side leading by 2 goals should. Credit to them.
Jonas looked really good. Was all over making contributions in defence mid and attack. Really impressed with him of late.
We looked more threatening in their box with 2 strikers on Shola providing good foil.
Cabaye was poor first half but improved a bit in the second. Williamson was solid. Mbiwa, WTF is he doing? bad passing and Bramble like moments.
We fielded probably the Full best attacking Squad but the tactics were still limiting. Don’t be flattered by the incoherent flurry we played. Benfica allowed us to play so they could counter.
Entertaining all round.
Michael12(Quote)
@211 I agree. I like Haidara and he is improving each match.
griff(Quote)
I don’t think anyone can blame tonight on Pards but I dare say someone will try
Big Dave(Quote)
Aye Newkie with that type of performance they’ll be a walkover.
If you’d have said we’d get to the last 8 in August I’d have been happy with it. Shame because you always want to win trophies but no shame in losing to a good team having put your heart in to the performance.
sjp14(Quote)
We fielded probably the Full best attacking Squad but the tactics were still limiting.
Michael12: surely you have had a birthday by now. Start acting 13 for once 🙄
griff(Quote)
Tactics, Michael?
I think the tactics were spot on, and executed as well as can be expected from the players. Let’s not forget who we were playing against – there’s no denying that Benfica are a quality team. They’re certainly better than us, so for us to come so close… I don’t really see what we could have done differently, tactics-wise.
blip(Quote)
Have to say for me Benny changed the game and give us a big boost
Big Dave(Quote)
****… Now bring on the scum. Not much else to say…
Cologne-toon(Quote)
Big Dave at 214. Just the Usual Suspect 🙄
griff(Quote)
I don’t know why people sometimes refrain from saying when Cisse is poor. Don’t agree with people that say he’s **** player. But he wasn’t great tonight. Come on, we know if he was genuinely playing well he would have bagged another tonight.
That’s what is keeping me optimistic tbh. He’s playing relatively poor yet still scoring a few. We’ll all know when he’s playing well, people wouldn’t be debating it.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Yes Benny miss the massive chance for 2-0. But you can see he is very far from being really 100%, but still with his magic he brings danger.
Marv has been perfect for his 20 mins in the pitch, for me he must have start.
HBA39(Quote)
@212 Gary Lineker made a career out of scoring tap ins. No one records how the goals were scored just that they were scored. Pippo Inzhagi was another striker who won everything at the top level but spent 90% of his time offside. Cisse is a goalscorer and even in a poor season like this season he’s scoring goals.
sjp14(Quote)
Huge credit to the lads . Mbiwa was shaky. Cabaye was pretty poor going forward, though he made a number of good defensive challenges. Don’t think Sissoko slots in amazingly yet either, still need to find how to work him in.
Full marks for effort though.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
@222 I agree. Arfa was great for someone off for months.
griff(Quote)