Newcastle up against it as Benfica call

Newcastle United FC will hope that the St James' Park crowd can help them atone for a 3-1 loss in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final against SL Benfica.

• In the sides' first European meeting, the visitors took an early lead through Papiss Cissé. However, Rodrigo quickly equalised for the hosts, and two goals in the space of six second-half minutes – from substitute Lima and Óscar Cardozo – ultimately handed Jorge Jesus' side a healthy lead.

Previous meetings
• Newcastle's record in six UEFA games against Portuguese sides is W1 D3 L2 (W1 D2 L0 at home – W0 D1 L2 in Portugal). Newcastle were last in the quarter-finals of this competition in 2004/05, where they lost out to Benfica's Lisbon rivals Sporting Clube de Portugal, current Eagles star Carlos Martins playing in both legs.

• In addition, the Magpies played six games against Portuguese sides in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the non-UEFA affiliated predecessor of the UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League, with the record W3 D2 L1 (W3 D0 L0 at home - W0 D2 L1 in Portugal). They beat Vitória FC in the quarter-finals en route to winning the 1968/69 edition.

• Benfica's 30 games against English sides have ended W10 D4 L16 (W7 D3 L5 at home – W3 D1 L11 in England). They have not won in their last three games in England, and in 2009/10 beat Liverpool FC 2-1 in the home leg of a UEFA Europa League quarter-final, losing 4-1 in the return fixture.

• Indeed, Benfica have lost all five of their previous quarter-finals against English clubs – four in the European Cup and that one in the UEFA Europa League.

• Benfica avoided Tottenham in the draw, leaving open the possibility that they might be reunited in the semi-finals. The Eagles eliminated Spurs at that stage en route to winning the 1961/62 European Champions Clubs' Cup final in Amsterdam, which will stage this season's UEFA Europa League final.

Match background
• Only two clubs have ever overturned a two-goal first-leg deficit in the UEFA Europa League knockout phase – Fulham FC against Juventus in the 2009/10 round of 16 (1-3, 4-1) and FC Steaua Bucureşti in this season’s round of 32 against AFC Ajax (0-2, 2-0; 4-2 on pens).

• Newcastle are unbeaten in 13 European home games (W9 D4) since a 2-1 loss to RC Deportivo La Coruña in the 2005 UEFA Intertoto Cup semi-finals. However, only two of those victories were by a margin of more than one goal.

• The Magpies have scored just ten goals in 11 games since the start of the group stage.

• Benfica have won all five of their games since entering the UEFA Europa League in the round of 32.

• Benfica are the only side in the quarter-finals who have reached this stage since the last UEFA Cup edition in 2008/09. Indeed, they have reached the last eight in all three of their UEFA Europa League campaigns.

• Three English teams – Chelsea FC, Newcastle and Tottenham – have reached the last eight. In each of the previous two seasons in which a country has taken three clubs to the quarter-finals, one of that number has gone on to win the trophy – FC Porto (Portugal) in 2010/11 and Club Atlético de Madrid (Spain) a year later – beating opponents from their own country in the final.

• Benfica and Chelsea are the only sides left in the competition who transferred from the UEFA Champions League group stage. They will be hoping to emulate the feat of inaugural victors Club Atlético de Madrid, who won the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League after entering in the knockout phase.

Team facts
• Newcastle defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa will turn 24 on 15 May, the day of the UEFA Europa League final in Amsterdam.

• Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi made his 50th appearance in UEFA club competition in the first leg.

• Óscar Cardozo's goal in the first leg took his total in the UEFA Europa League to 17, matching Falcao's record of 17 for one club in the competition, FC Porto. Cardozo is also second in the all-time scorers standings in the competition (group stage to final) behind Falcao (30).

• FC Basel 1893's David Degen has made 45 UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League appearances – more than any player left in the competition, though Benfica's Luisão is just behind him with 44.

• No Newcastle player has featured in all 11 games since the start of the group stage, with Vurnon Anita, Sylvain Marveaux and Ameobi making nine appearances each.

• Newcastle's Alan Pardew was the 2011/12 Premier League manager of the year, having been in charge of Reading FC, West Ham United FC, Charlton Athletic FC and Southampton FC prior to a move to Tyneside in 2010. A glazier and taxi driver while playing non-league football, the midfielder was in his mid-20s when he became a professional, playing for Crystal Palace FC and Charlton among others.

• Jorge Jesus started his career as a midfielder at Sporting and played for a number of smaller sides, hanging up his boots in 1989. He worked his way up the leagues as a coach, with successful spells at CF Os Belenenses and SC Braga – who he led to the 2008/09 UEFA Europa League round of 16 – heralding a move to Benfica. In 2009/10, he won the Portuguese title in his first season with the Eagles.

Penalty shoot-outs
• Newcastle's only previous penalty shoot-out in UEFA competition is:
L 3-4 (home) v FK Partizan, 2003/04 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round.

• Benfica's shoot-out record in UEFA club competition is:
W 4-1 (home) v PAOK FC, 1999/2000 UEFA Cup second round.
L 5-6 (neutral) v PSV Eindhoven, 1987/88 European Champion Clubs' Cup final.