Just eight sides remain in the Europa League and it is a stellar line up at this stage of the competition.
While it clearly still plays second fiddle to the Champions League, this tournament grows in stature year-on-year and the latest renewal has been a fascinating one.
Chelsea, still the European Champions, are joined by fellow Premier League sides Tottenham and Newcastle in the last eight and it is the Magpies I am keen to take on this Thursday.
Newcastle travel to Portugal to take on Benfica and they face an extremely talented host side.
Still unbeaten domestically, having dropped just eight points in the Premeira Liga all season, Benfica will certainly have their sights set on Europa League glory too and it will take a good team to stop them.
Failure in Europe’s premier club event was a surprise but they have breezed through the knockout stages here, winning both games against each of Bayer Leverkusen and Bordeaux, and Newcastle have a mighty task on their hands.
Porto, Chelsea and Barcelona are the only clubs to inflict defeat on Benfica on home soil in the last two years and Alan Pardew’s men arrive out of sorts.
At home it is 12 wins and a draw at this level for Benfica in their last 13 matches and Newcastle were clearly second best when thrashed 4-0 at Manchester City last time out.
Prior to that the English club were losers at Wigan and they are limping towards the end of the campaign.
Overall Newcastle’s away form this season has been abysmal, just one Premier League victory, and I like Benfica in both the match odds market and to qualify.
Brazilian striker Lima grabbed a hat-trick for the selection in Saturday’s 6-1 demolition of Rio Ave and it could be a very long night indeed for the away team.
4pts Back Benfica (vs. Newcastle) @ 1.50 (Paddy Power)