Newcastle United continued their impressive return to the Champions League with a commanding 3-0 win over Benfica at St James’ Park on Tuesday night. Goals from Anthony Gordon and a Harvey Barnes brace sealed a dominant performance that lifted Eddie Howe’s side further up the group phase standings.
The victory marked Newcastle’s second consecutive win in Europe this season, following their 4-0 thrashing of Union Saint-Gilloise earlier this month. It’s also the first time since 2003 that the Magpies have registered back-to-back Champions League victories — a statistic that highlights their growing maturity on the European stage.
With three games played, Newcastle now sit comfortably in the top eight of the new 36-team league format. Should they remain there after all eight fixtures, they will progress directly to the last 16. Finishing between ninth and 24th would see them enter a seeded play-off, while 25th or lower would bring their European campaign to an end.
Win Boosts Newcastle’s UEFA Coefficient Standing
Aside from boosting their qualification hopes, the victory also provides a major lift to Newcastle’s UEFA coefficient — a ranking that influences future European draws. Prior to kick-off, the club’s coefficient stood at 16.000, but the win over Benfica raised that figure to 18.000.
Newcastle began this season’s Champions League with 6.000 points for qualification alone, and their wins over Union SG and Benfica have each added valuable points to their total. They have now matched their entire coefficient tally from last season, when they finished bottom of a tough group featuring PSG, AC Milan, and Borussia Dortmund.
Currently, Newcastle’s coefficient remains below the Premier League’s base figure of 19.645, which means UEFA still uses the league’s standard score when conducting draws. However, another couple of wins in Europe this season should be enough for the Magpies to surpass that mark and earn their own independent ranking.
A stronger coefficient not only benefits Newcastle in the long term but also contributes to England’s country coefficient, which determines how many Champions League spots the Premier League receives. Last season’s success by English clubs helped secure an extra qualification place, allowing Newcastle to rejoin Europe’s elite despite finishing fifth domestically.
Eddie Howe’s men will now look to maintain their momentum as they continue to balance Premier League duties with a renewed push for European success.
