Where are they now? The last Newcastle United team to face Benfica ahead of pre-season meeting
Newcastle United will travel to Benfica in pre-season to compete for the Eusebio Cup - the club’s first trip to Lisbon since April 2013.
The invitational fixture, which has seen the likes of Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Ajax take part in previous years, is scheduled to happen on Tuesday, July 26 (kick-off 8pm local time).
United’s only competitive meetings with the Portuguese outfit came at the quarter-final stage of the Europa League in the 2012/13 season, in which Alan Pardew’s side lost 4-2 on aggregate over two legs.
The first leg took place at the Estadio da Luz. Papiss Cisse handed the Magpies the lead after 12 minutes but lost 3-1 after goals from Rodrigo, Lima and Oscar Cardozo.
At St James’ Park, Cisse’s strike on 71 minutes threatened a comeback from Newcastle, however a late goal from Eduardo Salvio ended all hope in stoppage time.
Ahead of Eddie Howe’s side’s visit to Portugal, NewcastleWorld takes a look at the last Newcastle United side to play at the Estadio da Luz - and what each player is up to now:
The first leg took place at the Estadio da Luz. Papiss Cisse handed the Magpies the lead after 12 minutes but lost 3-1 after goals from Rodrigo, Lima and Oscar Cardozo.
5. Davide Santon
Santon, now 31, was frozen out by Jose Mourinho at Roma last season and is now on the look out for a new club following the expiration of his contract.
6. James Perch
‘Perchinho’, who missed a big chunk of last season due to a fractured skull, captained Mansfield Town in their League Two play-off final defeat to Port Vale last month. At 36, Perch has agreed to stay on another year with the Stags.
7. Yohan Cabaye
Cabaye officially retired in February 2021, with Saint-Etienne the last club he played for. The 36-year-old is now a sporting coordinator at Paris Saint-Germain, largely focusing on the academy set up.
8. Moussa Sissoko
Sissoko joined Watford from Tottenham Hotspur last summer and was captain as the Hornets suffered relegated from the Premier League. If the rumour mill is anything to go by, it’s likely he’ll move back to France.