Newcastle have enjoyed a solid pre-season so far with comfortable wins against Gateshead and 1860 Munich followed by a narrow 1-0 defeat to Mainz 05 in Austria. They also got the better of Championship side Burnley in a training match in Portugal over the weekend.
They now prepare for arguably their toughest pre-season test against last season’s Champions League quarter-finalists Benfica at Estadio da Luz.
Pre-season presents an ideal opportunity for Howe to experiment and mix the team up, making predicting the side’s starting line-up almost impossible.
But given the level of opposition and the Eusebio Cup being on the table, Howe will be looking to start with a strong side.
5. Matt Targett - 5
Not the most comfortable evening for the Newcastle left-back as he struggled to get forward and couldn’t get his foot on the ball. | Getty Images
6. Sean Longstaff - 6
Was tidy in possession but often overran in the middle. | Jack McGraghan
7. Bruno Guimaraes - 6
Played a neat ball through to release Almiron early on. Booked and may have been fortunate to stay on the pitch had it not been a friendly match. Photo: Owen Humphreys
8. Elliot Anderson - 6
Brought energy to the midfield and was able to put one teasing ball into the box. Photo: Getty