Newcastle v Benfica: Key Moments

By Dan King - Newcastle United Club Reporter

Newcastle United 1 (Cisse 71)
Benfica 1 (Salvio 90+2)

Benfica win 4-2 on aggregate

SECOND HALF UPDATES

90+4mins: Newcastle's Europa League dream is over but only after a brave showing at St. James' Park which is appreciated by the home fans. Papiss Cisse's goal with 19 minutes left set up a grandstand finish but United could not get the second goal they needed and in the dying seconds, the Portuguese side killed off the tie through Eduardo Salvio. So it is not to be for Alan Pardew's side but they exit with their heads held high and plenty to be proud of ahead of Sunday's Tyne-Wear derby.

90+3mins: Jardel comes on for goalscorer Salvio in the final change of the night.

90+2mins - BENFICA GOAL (1-1): The game is up for Newcastle and Eduardo Salvio sweeps home from eight yards as the Magpies throw men forward. So often it's been United who have grabbed late goals but not this time. The home fans applaud their team all the same in a moving show of unity and support but Benfica will now go through.

90+1mins: Marveaux wins a free-kick and Cabaye goes for goal but his low shot deflects off the wall and into the grateful arms of Artur.

90mins: There will be four minutes of stoppage time for Newcastle to find the second goal which would take them through.

89mins: Krul makes another great save as Benfica's Gaitan tries to kill the game off and then as Newcastle counter, Ben Arfa curls over. Alan Pardew will still believe but his side are running out of time.

85mins: Melgarejo flicks the ball to Gaitan, who advances into the box but sees his low shot parried by Krul and then cleared by Newcastle.

82mins: Now Williamson is booked for tugging back Cardozo on the halfway line - he had no other option and he took one for the team.

81mins: Yanga-Mbiwa is deservedly booked for a poor tackle 25 yards from goal as Newcastle try to clear their lines from a rare Benfica attack. The free-kick is worked short to Ezequiel Garay but he drills the ball wide.

80mins: Cabaye sizes up a shot from nearly 30 yards and hits it well enough, but it zips wide of Artur's near post. You still get the feeling there's one more big chance to come for the Magpies - Benfica are on the ropes and Newcastle know they can score late goals.

78mins: Ameobi charges forward and cuts inside but just loses his footing as he advances into the box and his shot bobbles into the hands of the goalkeeper. Newcastle are going for it now.

76mins: Ola John is replaced by Rodrigo in the visitors' second change of the night.

75mins: Controversy as Papiss goes for a high, hanging ball and seems to be wiped out by Artur. Referee Bebek seems set to point to the spot - but awards a goal kick instead.

72mins: Benfica make their first change - Oscar Cardoza is on for Lima.

71mins - NEWCASTLE GOAL (1-0): Almeida, who had to go off having required treatment following that Cabaye tackle, comes back on without the referee's permission - surely that's a yellow card offence and he's already on a booking but Bebek simply waves him back off the pitch. But Newcastle carry on regardless and, as Ameobi bustles into the box and dinks the ball across goal, Cisse is there to head home from close range. This time there's no flag to cut short his celebrations - it really is game on now.

69mins: Now Cabaye is booked for sliding in a split-second too late on Almeida as he tried to stretch for the ball in the Benfica box. It sparks a coming together of both sets of players but nobody else goes into Bebek's book.

67mins: The final throw of the dice in terms of changes for Newcastle sees Sylvain Marveaux come on for the excellent Haidara and the new boy's first involvement is to float in an inviting ball which Cisse can't quite force home.

66mins: Ben Arfa fizzes the ball in and a panicky Almeida slices it behind for a corner, but Benfica clear their lines. Then Cisse gets the ball in the net but, for a second time, it's ruled offside. Ameobi flicks it on but Cisse is just a fraction off and the flag goes up. He's booked for his protests.

64mins: After Gaitan stabs an effort wide for Benfica, here comes Ben Arfa and that's got the fans on their feet. He replaces Vurnon Anita, who has played well but is sacrificed for some more attacking flair.

60mins: We've reached the hour mark and the fans are calling out for Hatem Ben Arfa. He's warming up, as is Sylvain Marveaux, and we'll almost certainly see them soon.

57mins: Williamson has his heels clipped by Lima as he lines up a shot just outside the box and Cabaye steps up to take the resulting free-kick, but after a long delay he curls it over the bar.

54mins: Gaitan cuts the ball across for Lima, but he too is off target when well placed.

52mins: Melgarejo works the ball back to Ola John, who strikes first time but sees the ball fly high into the Leazes end.

50mins: Danny Simpson does well to get in a deflected low cross which finds Ameobi, who takes a touch towards the byline and then gets in a shot from an acute angle which is palmed behind by Artur. Cabaye's corner is played towards Haidara, who goes for a spectacular volley but miskicks and sees it swerve out for a throw-in.

49mins: Andre Almeida is booked for deliberate handball as Haidara tries to flick the ball past him.

46mins: Tonight's attendance is 52,157 including 1,759 who have made the trip from Portugal. Shola Ameobi is on in place of Gael Bigirimana. After a huddle, Newcastle get the second half started and now they're kicking towards those Gallowgate fans. A massive 45 minutes - and maybe more - is coming right up.

FIRST HALF UPDATES

45+2mins: Alan Pardew said before the game that he'd back his side to go through even if the score was 0-0 with ten minutes left. We're not at that stage yet but it's half-time and there has been no goal for either side, although Cisse did have one ruled out just before the break. Both sides look capable of finding the net, though, and it's sure to open up more in the second half, when Newcastle will have to start taking some more risks. Click here for the half-time report.

45mins: Cisse puts the ball in the net - but his effort is ruled offside. Yohan Cabaye's free-kick is aimed towards Mike Williamson but headed away as far as Bigirimana, whose wonderful ball is converted at the far post by the number nine but he was just offside. There will be two minutes of stoppage time.

42mins: Cabaye clips the ball forward from his own half for Sissoko to explode towards goal and then cut the ball back for Bigirimana in a central position. The Burundi-born teenager has to hit it with his left foot, though, and fails to generate the power from 20 yards to test Artur.

38mins: Gaitan's free-kick from the right is half-cleared but Perez goes for a shot from 22 yards and it takes an awkward bounce in front of Krul, who saves but can't hold. The Dutchman is first to the loose ball, though, and gathers it into his chest.

36mins: Ola John takes on Danny Simpson for pace and gets in a cross which Eduardo Salvio heads just wide and it's just as well he was off target because Cisse was certain he should have been awarded a free-kick in the build-up to that chance.

31mins: Bebek books Enzo Perez for kicking the ball away as Moussa Sissoko goes down - then books goalkeeper Artur for dissent. That could prove interesting because the keeper now won't be able to time-waste for fear of a second yellow. Worryingly, a stretcher is called for Sissoko but eventually he climbs to his feet and is able to continue. 

28mins: Haidara makes a miraculous block on the line after Krul came to gather a long ball on the edge of the his area but allowed the ball to squirm out of his grasp as he slid and Lima plays the ball across to Nicolas Gaitan. He has virtually the whole goal to aim at but the French left-back somehow gets in the way and Newcastle escape - with Krul a very relieved man.

26mins: The Croatian referee, Ivan Bebek, speaks to Artur after the Benfica keeper takes a long time over a free-kick - not for the first time. The visitors are looking to run the clock down when they can but at least the officials are wise to it.

13mins: Newcastle are starting to come into this and as Gael Bigirimana picks out the run of Papiss Cisse with a ball over the top, the striker's control just lets him down and the chance goes begging. United are winning tackles and moving the ball well after a nervy start and just need to fashion a clear-cut chance now.

5mins: Now Krul is forced into action again as he palms away a cross-cum-shot from Melgarejo, who had seen his ball in from the left veer towards goal. Massadio Haidara puts the ball behind for a corner, which Newcastle clear, but it's the visitors who have started the better of the two teams.

3mins: The last thing Newcastle can afford to do is concede early here but they almost do. Andre Almeida gets in a low cross and Lima flicks the ball towards goal but is denied by superb reflexes from Tim Krul, who was no more than six yards away.

1min: The world's biggest pop band, One Direction, visited Newcastle United's training centre yesterday but tonight it's all about the Europa League and, One Way Or Another, the Magpies are desperate to reach the semi-finals - even if it means we'll be Up All Night with extra-time and perhaps penalties. Alan Pardew's side trail 3-1 from last week's first leg at the Estadio da Luz but Papiss Cisse's away goal offers real hope to the English club and the fans who have packed out St. James' Park. Black and white scarves were twirled above heads as the teams came out and now we're underway. It's Benfica, in their red shirts and white shorts, who get things started as they attack towards the Gallowgate end.

Newcastle United (4-4-1-1): Tim Krul; Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Massadio Haidara (Sylvain Marveaux 67); Gael Bigirimana (Shola Ameobi 46), Yohan Cabaye (c), Vurnon Anita (Hatem Ben Arfa 64), Jonas Gutierrez; Moussa Sissoko; Papiss Cisse

Subs not used: Rob Elliot, Dan Gosling, James Perch, Adam Campbell

Benfica (4-3-3): Artur; Andre Almeida, Luisao (c), Ezequiel Garay, Melgarejo; Eduardo Salvio (Jardel 90+3), Nemanja Matic, Enzo Perez; Ola John (Rodrigo 76), Lima (Oscar Cardozo 72), Nicolas Gaitan

Subs not used: Paulo Lopes, Maxi Pereira, Pablo Aimar, Andre Gomes

Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia)