After ending their pre-season tour of Austria with a 1-0 defeat against Mainz 05, Newcastle jetted back to the North East before quickly heading out to Portugal for another training camp.
Saturday saw The Magpies get the better of two Burnley XIs in a behind closed doors practice session which involved two sets of XIs playing against each other at the same time on different pitches.
But tonight is sure to provide arguably Newcastle’s toughest test of pre-season so far with Champions League quarter-finalists Benfica the hosts and the Eusebio Cup on the line.
Eddie Howe has made seven changes to the side that were beaten 1-0 against Mainz with Martin Dubravka, Paul Dummett and Ryan Fraser all missing out.
13. Emil Krafth - 6
On for Trippier 46: Got into some decent areas going forward but didn’t do much with the ball. Photo: Ian MacNicol
14. Fabian Schar - 7
On for Lascelles 46: Was rarely troubled at the back following his introduction. Photo: Gareth Copley
15. Dan Burn - 6
On for Botman: Kept Benfica relatively quiet in the second half but was beaten for pace for the winning goal. Booked. Photo: Mike Hewitt
16. Matty Bondswell - 7
On for Targett 46: A mature and composed first-team outing for the 20-year-old left-back. Held his own against a top European side. Photo: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA