Champions League Matchday 3: Newcastle vs Benfica facts
Monday, October 13, 2025
Article summary
Previous meetings, club facts and key stats ahead of the UEFA Champions League Matchday 3 game.
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Newcastle United will look to build on their emphatic Matchday 2 victory as they welcome a Benfica side who are still searching for their first points of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League.
Last match
The only previous fixtures between the teams came in the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, a 3-1 home win for Benfica followed by a 1-1 draw in Newcastle.
Those were Newcastle's last games against Portuguese opponents. They have won only one of those seven matches (D4 L2), though they are unbeaten in the four at home (W1 D3).
This is Benfica's second successive game in England. They were beaten 1-0 at Chelsea on Matchday 2 in José Mourinho's first Champions League game in charge, making it eight matches without a win against English teams (D3 L5) since a 3-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur in the 2013/14 Europa League round of 16 first leg.
Benfica are also winless in their last 11 Champions League matches against Premier League opponents (D3 L8), since a 2-0 success at Liverpool in the round of 16 second leg in March 2006.
This is Newcastle's fourth campaign in the Champions League proper, although only their second since 2002/03.
Eddie Howe's side were fourth in their section behind Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan two seasons ago (W1 D2 L3), their sole win a 4-1 home success against the French club on Matchday 2.
This is Benfica's 45th European Cup campaign, behind only Real Madrid's 56. This is their 20th appearance in the Champions League proper and a 15th in the last 16 seasons.
In 2024/25 the Eagles were 16th in the league phase (W4 D1 L3), beating Monaco 4-3 in the knockout phase play-offs before a 1-4 aggregate last-16 loss to Barcelona.
Key stats
Having won 4-0 at Union Saint-Gilloise on Matchday 2 – the club's biggest Champions League victory – Newcastle are aiming for successive wins in the competition proper for the first time since the 2002/03 second group stage.
The Magpies have lost their last three home Champions League games, going down 1-2 against Barcelona on Matchday 1.
Anthony Gordon has found the net in both Newcastle's league phase games, three goals in total; no player has ever scored in three successive Champions League appearances for Newcastle.
Benfica have lost their last four Champions League matches.