Newcastle have just been drawn against Portuguese side Benfia in the Europa League quarter finals.
The rest of the draw was as follows:
Fenerbahce v Lazio
Tottenham v Basel
Chelsea v Rubin Kazan
So the three English teams avoided each other, and there’s now a chance of having three English teams in the semi-finals.
This is not a bad draw for Newcastle, and we could have drawn a more difficult side, so we must have a decent chance of getting through to the last four for the first time since the great Bobby Robson took us there in 2004 against Marseilles.
Bottom line – we must stand an excellent chance of reaching the semi-finals.
Newcastle will travel to Lisbon in the first-leg on Thursday, 4th April (just less than three weeks time), and then we play the second leg at home – which is an advantage – on Thursday, 11th April.
The quarter final draw for the Champions League ended up as follows:
Bayern Munich v Juventus
PSG v Barcelona
Real Madrid v Galatasaray
Malaga v Dortmund
Comments very welcome.
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98 comments so far
NUFC_LEAZES END
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:16 PM
Comment #41@rotonda
I know man, imagine the party in the city centres and that aswell.
I remember going to the last open top team bus homecoming, hopefully there will be another one in may 😀
WesJameson
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:16 PM
Comment #42@ Rotonda heights // Mar 15, 2013 at 12:09 PM
Fully agree, MYM is an animal, a very calm animal i might add, hahaha
But he is immense, probably better than Woody IMO
L.ARAVIND
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:16 PM
Comment #43we are much much stronger team than them. if u look at anzhi’s record this season,,they are in 2nd position and have lost least number of games in the russian league this season…but we controlled them very well.we outclassed them in all areas and totally silenced eto’o…..so i think that it will be an interesting draw but we will hopefully get through…..cheers up!!!!!!!!
lesh
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:16 PM
Comment #44Nearly forgot: Pardew out!
NUFC_LEAZES END
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:17 PM
Comment #45@martoon
OH YEAHHH, HE STRIKES FEAR INTO ALL STADIUM OF LIGHT’s
WHETHER ITS ON ENGLISH TURF OR PORTUGUESE 🙂 🙂
Transfer Sage
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:17 PM
Comment #46martoon
Thats a great plan….just tell him its the stadium of light not that it’s benfica and watch him score a hatful.
Minato
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:18 PM
Comment #47I agree with Toon King.. I think they are the team we probably would rather have avoided outside of Spurs and Chelsea at this stage. I think the ideal draws would have been Basel or Fenerbahce..but come on this is quarter final time just chuffed to have gotten this far. With our league status hopefully sewn up and Benny and Krul to return I’m optimistic we can get to the final four..
CDEVINE69
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:19 PM
Comment #48but Will they move the mackem fixture to Sunday now coz playing benfica two days before in second leg.
Munster Mag
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:21 PM
Comment #49Benfica wont worry about St James Park. They did ok at Celtic and thats noisier than anywhere. We are going to need two goals I think, but who knows, the team may have got a bit slicker by then. Will Colo be back? I laughed re Mbiwa – the black Woodgate. Can I just add, “without the silly accent” ?? Can we copyright that ? ” MYM – The Black Woodgate , but without the slack accent” 🙂
pawl250
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:21 PM
Comment #50Hey guys. Benfica is a very hard draw…. but the saying goes you have to beat everyone to win it no matter who you face. Arguably an easier draw than Lazio, Chelsea, Spurs. Cant see why we cant win but its important to realise this is a tough fixture…. and support the lads!
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Would really appreciate it, and in fairness its a pretty awesome video!
Rotonda heights
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:21 PM
Comment #51wes
just hope MYM doesn’t get woody’s injuries and he could well be.
Munster Mag
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:22 PM
Comment #52Laravind thats bollocks – Anz could easily have beaten us last night. From what I can make out we were outclassed in the first half, and only created one chance? And they created more?
pawl250
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:23 PM
Comment #53Also he is the only English guy left…. fellow Brits stick together again any votes would be massively appreciated!!
Troy Stavers
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:23 PM
Comment #54Where’s Benfica City? I’ve looked all over on the map but can’t find it.
Munster Mag
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:24 PM
Comment #55And remember guys having a laugh at Boro getting taken apart in the final. Not saying we are not better than that shower were though….
Transfer Sage
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:24 PM
Comment #56Benfica are good but not significantly better than other teams we could have drawn. Any team would make it hard for us so hoepfully we have cabaye and ben arfa back up to speed by then.
Munster Mag
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:25 PM
Comment #57North / mid Portugal , west coast i think?
Carryingcoals
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:25 PM
Comment #58I’d like to discuss Campbell’s inclusion last night as I know a lot of you are massive Campbell admirers on here.
Firstly, this is open to debate and I want to hear peoples opinions, as I think a lot of you will disagree with what I’m about to say.
I think Campbell has potential of course but last night I thought bringing him on was a poor substitution. Yes he made runs in behind which our players ignored/missed and yes he is a great young lad no doubt but I definitely disagreed with having him come on.
1. He looked too light weight. Anzhi were very quick and physical and I thought we failed to hold the ball up around their 18 yard box, Campbell wasn’t the right frame of player to make a needed impact
2. I’d have preferred to see Shola. He is experienced and can obviously battle up top and have a good affect on Cisse, who could then feed off him
If you’re good enough then you’re old enough. I have no qualms about throwing an 18 year old on but I think already we are over-rating Campbell. Now I’m not bashing him but I think we should send him out on loan or ease him in rather than throwing him on against a star studded team in a crucial part of the game.
To me, a different substitution made more sense. Granted we won and this may be irrelevant but I’m not convinced Campbell is ready and I certainly haven’t see enough to get really excited by him. I don’t quite understand the euphoria that already surrounds him.
What do people think?
Rotonda heights
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:25 PM
Comment #59NUFC leazes end
My old man is 86 so not many chances left to win something in his lifetime!! But could you imagine what winning would be like. There’s be such an outpouring of emotion built up over all these years. We wouldn’t need grief counselling, we’d need success counselling !!!!!
Troy Stavers
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:27 PM
Comment #60@Munster Mag
Thanks! I still can’t find it like!!
Rotonda heights
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:27 PM
Comment #61benfica is lisbon
Rotonda heights
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:28 PM
Comment #62benfica v sporting lisbon is the derby
mally72
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:29 PM
Comment #63Could of been alot worse its a very winnable tie 2 – 1 agg win for the toon followed by a good old fashioned hammering of the scum 🙂 hwtl
El Sleeve
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:30 PM
Comment #64on investigation it seems the only tickets left are for season ticket holders. need abticket
Troy Stavers
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:30 PM
Comment #65You’ve got to love Rotunda! 😀
Everytime! 😀
Hook, line and rotunda. 😀
fergies left foot
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:30 PM
Comment #66theyre not the force they used to be like someone said but still loads of talented players. Gaitan, Ola John and Oscar Cardozo the three danger men. Still think we’ll make it. Celtic beat them and Bordeux didnt seem to be completely out of their depth! Remember we’ll probably have cabaye and ben arfa back and, dare i say it, our premier league status sorted.
Rotonda heights
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:31 PM
Comment #67mally
wouldn’t that just be perfect.
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:32 PM
Comment #68Carrying…my thoughts are you’re going to get lynched 🙂
As you say, it is a little irrelevant as we won, but I do get what you’re saying.
Pardew had 2 options, Shola to bully them or Campbell to try and create some space for something to happen. Both could have worked given the opposition imo, overall I’m just impressed that he went for Campbell, which on the face of it was a positive forward thinking route.
Do I think he’s ready? Really no idea as I haven’t seen enough of him to date. As for the euphoria, he’s young, he’s a Geordie and he’s a ST…of course people will get excited.
Rotonda heights
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:32 PM
Comment #69did celtic actually beat them?
pawl250
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:32 PM
Comment #70Celtic didnt beat Benfica…. they lost 2-1 and drew 0-0 where has this come from?
NUFC_LEAZES END
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:32 PM
Comment #71@rotonda
Yeah would be amazing like, I’m sure that would make your old man extremely happy, I just hope we can do it for the sake of all our fans, especially the older generation that have supported the club through thick and thin over so many decades. 🙂
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:33 PM
Comment #72Troy…Was that clean sheet “stat” you posted earlier genuine?
Rotonda heights
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:33 PM
Comment #73Troy
No problemo
Williamsonsuks
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:33 PM
Comment #74Yeah no easy teams left. I’m happy with draw. Both teams have great support, so crowd should dictate the pace of both ties. Cant wait!
Is Nzogbia fit for sunfays game, hopr not. The little shit always raises his game against us.
Transfer Sage
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:33 PM
Comment #75carrying
I didn’t mind it. I thought in the position he was used (more left sided) it makes more sense to have him than shola and obertan has hardly done enough to show he should be there regularly.
I think a few sub games and maybe a start when we are fully safe in the league is what he needs. This way we can see if he is ready or not for the first team and if he doesn’t look up for it yet we can give him a loan next year.
If he comes on well by the end of the season then maybe keep him as 3rd striker next year…if not can loan him out.
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:34 PM
Comment #76Williamson….We’re not playing Villa are we?
Troy Stavers
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:34 PM
Comment #77Just reading about the stadium of light. It only holds 48k seats.
It doesn’t look too impressive from the outside bit its supposed to be dug into the ground so it looks bigger from inside.
There’s pictures of the trophy cupboard. Doesn’t look like they’ve won much either.
Eh? Apparently the X64 bus gans past it!
Transfer Sage
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:35 PM
Comment #78pawl
I just heard somebody mention it so said it myself…didn’t look into it being genuine or not.
Still we have a chance as we are better than celtic
mally72
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:35 PM
Comment #79That would be a very good week in the life of any toon fan and lets face it we have had a very up and down season so far but now things are really looking up now
Rotonda heights
Mar 15, 2013 at 12:36 PM
Comment #80Troy
The sad thing some Geordies (level 7 ultras) may really think there is a Benfica city!!!
No ok you got me. I smelt a rat but still fell for it.