Alan Pardew has warned a sold out St James' Park that "patience" is the key word ahead of their mammoth clash with Benfica on Thursday night – with the Newcastle United boss warning: "If we go gung-ho – we'll be killed."
United need at least two goals to keep their dreams alive in the Europa League against a Benfica side that have now gone 31 games unbeaten.
It has been 12 months since the Lisbon giants last tasted defeat in the Portuguese top flight. However, the Magpies do have what could prove to be a valuable away goal in the bank.
With the game poised at 3-1 to Benfica after the first leg, Pardew told the Chronicle: "Our fans need to understand on Thursday, in the quarter-final of the Europa League, that if we go gung-ho looking for two quick goals, we're just going to get killed.
Pardew's team have earned themselves a reputation as being late goal specialists, with Papiss Cisse doing the trick in stoppage time four times this season.
That was the key to knocking out Anzhi Makhachkala in the last 16, and Pardew even dared to suggest the game will be at its most dangerous if United find one goal around the 70-minute mark.
It is a tough week for Pardew and his troops as they try to break down their schedule to cater for both the last-eight clash with Benfica and, of course, the Tyne-Wear derby with Sunderland.
And Pardew also feels that his team have been victims of their own success in Europe with the game with Sunderland giving them little time to prepare.
Newcastle must come back from two goals down to stand any chance of seeing off Jorge Jesus' unbeaten and rather arrogant Benfica side.
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