United head to Oakwell just a point off top spot in the Sky Bet Championship, having extended their unbeaten run to five games with the 3-1 win over Brentford at St. James' Park on Saturday.

And while Benitez says his charges will be heading to Yorkshire in buoyant mood, he has warned that the Tykes - who have scored 23 league goals, just two fewer than the Magpies, this season - are not an outfit to be underestimated.

"When you play two games a week, it's important to go to the next one after winning, because you have more confidence and the right mentality," he said. "We have confidence in things that we are doing at the moment, but at the same time, I told the players that it's a very dangerous game because Barnsley are a good team. They're a team that play with high intensity and a high tempo, and we have to be sure that we don't go there with our confidence and start making mistakes, or making them believe that they can win."

"It's a very dangerous game, because they are scoring goals and they are not conceding too many. They score goals, and that is always dangerous."
Benitez added: "They attack, they create chances and they score goals. They play with a very high tempo, so it will not be easy. We know the Champinship is a very difficult league, a very difficult competition, as are these kind of games.
"I remember watching them three or four weeks ago, and I was impressed because of the intensity and the pace, so I think it will be tough."

Benitez made just one change to his line-up for Saturday's win over the Bees, with Ayoze Perez coming in for Mo Diame in the only alteration to the team that beat Rotherham United 1-0 just before the international break.
And the Magpies manager further explained his thinking with regard to his selection policy, which he says is intended to "bring the best" from his team.
"We did not change too many players in the last game. We change two or three players because we think that we need fresh legs in some positions, and also because the other players can do well at the same time," he said.
"I like the competition, I like to rotate if you have to do it, but if you have players doing well, how much can they play? How many games in a row can they play? We have to decide.
"We have to protect our players and we have to bring the best from them. If they are doing well, sometimes we want to keep them, sometimes we change players even if they are doing well because their teammate can do better maybe for the next game. It's just to be sure that we manage the squad."

Benitez also confirmed that captain Jamaal Lascelles and winger Matt Ritchie would be fit and available for the trip to Oakwell after the former was substituted on Saturday and the latter missed out altogether through illness, while forward Daryl Murphy is nearing a return following a calf injury.
"Murphy has completed a full training session, so I'm really pleased about that. Rob Elliot has also been training with the keepers," he said.
"Lascelles was a little bit sick the other day, but he's fine and Ritchie is fine, so some good news."