Newcastle beat Swansea City 3-0 on Saturday, just hours after Sunderland had defeated 17th-placed Norwich City by the same scoreline to bring the three clubs within three points of each other, with the north-east rivals holding a match in hand over the Canaries.
The Magpies' extra fixture looks a tricky test, with City chasing points in their bid to nail down a top-four spot.
Aguero sets sights on landmark night at Newcastle >>
But Benitez hopes the increasing optimism on Tyneside will give his side considerable home advantage, with Newcastle having beaten Liverpool and West Ham United at St James' Park already this term.
"After the games you watch the table and it's a little bit better so we have more confidence,” he said. "Hopefully, we can keep the momentum.
"We said before playing at home could be massive for us, we have another three games at home so hopefully we can play at the same level with the same intensity and be lucky, as sometimes you have to be."
Benitez could welcome Daryl Janmaat back from a groin injury and has seen signs that his players have it within them to escape the drop.
"It was important to give them confidence before the game," he added. "The game plan, the ideas that we were practicing in training sessions this week, you could see they were trying and trying.
"Sometimes going well, sometimes not so well, but in the end we won and the team has this feeling that working hard and working together with the fans behind us we can beat anyone.
"I think that they are now thinking that we can do it and they believe they have this feeling, like all the fans, watching the team working hard, everybody thinks we can do it.
"I say a lot of times, 'we will fight until the end', but now we are closer it will be easier for me to give this speech."
Man City aim for lucky thirteen against Newcastle >>
Newcastle's recent record against City makes for grim reading, however, losing the last 12 BPL meetings between the sides by an aggregate 38-6 score.
That will boost a City side hoping to pull further away from fifth-placed Manchester United and Arsenal after the Gunners' draw against Crystal Palace on Sunday left Manuel Pellegrini's men third in the table.
Pellegrini suggested after Saturday's 3-0 win at Chelsea that he could make changes as City look to maintain their form ahead of a UEFA Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid.
Yaya Toure returned from a knee injury at Stamford Bridge, while Vincent Kompany and Raheem Sterling have recovered from their injury problems to feature in the squad.
Gael Clichy (back) and David Silva (ankle) will not feature, while Bacary Sagna and Samir Nasri are also ruled out, with the latter in contention for the weekend's match with Stoke City.
Newcastle United (from): Darlow, Woodman, Dummett, Haidara, Janmaat, Lascelles, Mbemba, Taylor, Aarons, Anita, Colback, De Jong, Gouffran, Marveaux, Obertan, Saivet, Shelvey, Sissoko, Tiote, Townsend, Wijnaldum, Cisse, Doumbia, Mitrovic, Perez, Riviere.
Manchester City (from): Caballero, Hart, Wright, Demichelis, Kolarov, Kompany, Mangala, Otamendi, Sagna, Zabaleta, De Bruyne, Delph, Fernandinho, Fernando, Nasri, Navas, Toure, Sterling, A Garcia, M Garcia, Aguero, Bony, Iheanacho, Celina.
Match Appointments
Referee: Kevin Friend Assistants: D Bryan, L Betts Fourth Official: N Swarbrick
The Magpies' extra fixture looks a tricky test, with City chasing points in their bid to nail down a top-four spot.
Aguero sets sights on landmark night at Newcastle >>
But Benitez hopes the increasing optimism on Tyneside will give his side considerable home advantage, with Newcastle having beaten Liverpool and West Ham United at St James' Park already this term.
"After the games you watch the table and it's a little bit better so we have more confidence,” he said. "Hopefully, we can keep the momentum.
"We said before playing at home could be massive for us, we have another three games at home so hopefully we can play at the same level with the same intensity and be lucky, as sometimes you have to be."
Benitez could welcome Daryl Janmaat back from a groin injury and has seen signs that his players have it within them to escape the drop.
"It was important to give them confidence before the game," he added. "The game plan, the ideas that we were practicing in training sessions this week, you could see they were trying and trying.
"Sometimes going well, sometimes not so well, but in the end we won and the team has this feeling that working hard and working together with the fans behind us we can beat anyone.
"I think that they are now thinking that we can do it and they believe they have this feeling, like all the fans, watching the team working hard, everybody thinks we can do it.
"I say a lot of times, 'we will fight until the end', but now we are closer it will be easier for me to give this speech."
Man City aim for lucky thirteen against Newcastle >>
Newcastle's recent record against City makes for grim reading, however, losing the last 12 BPL meetings between the sides by an aggregate 38-6 score.
That will boost a City side hoping to pull further away from fifth-placed Manchester United and Arsenal after the Gunners' draw against Crystal Palace on Sunday left Manuel Pellegrini's men third in the table.
Pellegrini suggested after Saturday's 3-0 win at Chelsea that he could make changes as City look to maintain their form ahead of a UEFA Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid.
Yaya Toure returned from a knee injury at Stamford Bridge, while Vincent Kompany and Raheem Sterling have recovered from their injury problems to feature in the squad.
Gael Clichy (back) and David Silva (ankle) will not feature, while Bacary Sagna and Samir Nasri are also ruled out, with the latter in contention for the weekend's match with Stoke City.
Newcastle United (from): Darlow, Woodman, Dummett, Haidara, Janmaat, Lascelles, Mbemba, Taylor, Aarons, Anita, Colback, De Jong, Gouffran, Marveaux, Obertan, Saivet, Shelvey, Sissoko, Tiote, Townsend, Wijnaldum, Cisse, Doumbia, Mitrovic, Perez, Riviere.
Manchester City (from): Caballero, Hart, Wright, Demichelis, Kolarov, Kompany, Mangala, Otamendi, Sagna, Zabaleta, De Bruyne, Delph, Fernandinho, Fernando, Nasri, Navas, Toure, Sterling, A Garcia, M Garcia, Aguero, Bony, Iheanacho, Celina.
Match Appointments
Referee: Kevin Friend Assistants: D Bryan, L Betts Fourth Official: N Swarbrick
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