GRAEME Souness has urged his Newcastle players to "come out with all guns blazing" as they look to defend the narrowest of advantages in Sporting Lisbon's Jose Alvalade Stadium tonight, writes Scott Wilson.

Alan Shearer's first-half winner was enough to settle the first leg of United's UEFA Cup quarter-final on Tyneside last week.

But, while Shearer's strike means that a clean sheet this evening will guarantee the Magpies a place in the last four, Souness is focusing his attention on what happens at the other end of the field.

Newcastle have scored 15 goals in their five European away games this season and, after beating Hapoel Bnei Sakhnin, Panionios, Sochaux, Heerenveen and Olympiakos, can boast a 100 per cent record on continental soil.

Sporting Lisbon are arguably the best side they have faced so far - the Portuguese outfit accounted for Middlesbrough last month - and Souness is fully aware of the threat they will pose to a makeshift Magpies backline.

But the Scot is confident his side can cause problems of their own and, with Sunday's FA Cup semi-final with Manchester United also at the forefront of his mind, is equally sure his players will rise to their two biggest challenges of the season.

"There's no hiding place," said Souness, who will be making his first competitive return to Lisbon since leaving Benfica in 1999. "If we have anyone not quite up for it, we can't win these next two games.

"Most people would argue that this is the biggest week in the club's recent history. We have a semi-final and a game that could get us to another one.

"But we have to come out with all guns blazing against Sporting. We feel we should have scored more than one goal in the first leg.

"We know they are a good footballing side who know how to keep the ball well, but we feel we can take them on and do a job."

Sporting's passing game caught the eye in the first leg, although the Portuguese side rarely looked like turning their plentiful possession into clear-cut chances.

That is likely to change this evening, with Jose Peseiro's side certain to show far greater urgency and incision as they chase the win they need to progress.

Newcastle were lethargic as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Tottenham on Sunday but, with Kieron Dyer and Patrick Kluivert both ready to return to the side tonight, the Magpies should have more of their customary energy and enterprise

"It will be a game of two contrasting styles and we have to make sure that it's the English one which wins through," said Souness.

"If we were bringing a team back to Newcastle at 1-0 up, all our supporters would think we have a great chance of going through. Their supporters will think that of them.

"But our attitude has to be that we're going to get a result that will set us up nicely for Sunday.

"These two games mean everything and I'm excited by them. The bigger the game, the more it turns me on. I was that way as a player and I'm the same as a manager. That's why I'm at Newcastle United - we don't play small games."

Souness will give both Shay Given and Titus Bramble late fitness tests this evening before deciding on his starting line-up for the game. Bramble trained last night after recovering from a hernia operation, while Given was also put through his paces despite still experiencing some pain from his sore hip.

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