Barnes Fires Two Goals as The Magpies Defeat Portuguese Side and Jose Mourinho
As the Benfica manager came at St James' Park and complimented Eddie Howe and his squad, local fans feared a tough game. But those fears vanished due to a strike from Anthony Gordon and two more from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring the visitors' new manager did not inflict any trouble for Newcastle.
Game Flow and Early Exchanges
The Benfica boss had predicted that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their own aggressive style. Benfica certainly enjoyed disrupting the Magpies' early efforts to establish a smooth attacking tempo.
Compounding Newcastle's issues, two midfielders, Tonali and the Brazilian, started as substitutes as they were recovering from illness and a knock respectively.
Before kick-off, the two managers shared a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it soon became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his side to quiet the crowd by delaying Newcastle and lowering the intensity whenever possible.
Key Moments and Turning Points
The visitors' tactic yielded varied results, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to break through the defensive barricades, they at first struggled to create good opportunities.
Moreover, Benfica's Belgium attacker Lukebakio nearly demonstrated scoring skill when, after beating the defender behind, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that required an terrific one-handed save. It's no surprise Pope retains hope for an England return in time for the World Cup.
Yet when Lukebakio hit a further shot off the woodwork, Newcastle woke up. Murphy fired off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range save from Guimaraes before Gordon finally broke the deadlock.
Gordon's scorching pace had caused problems for Mourinho all evening, and he calmly side-footed the opener past Trubin after Murphy's quick cross into the box paid off.
On the occasion the Magpies' hard, pressing game was not anticipated by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to pass a ground cross across the goal for Gordon to finish.
Second Half and Match-Winning Substitutions
From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be accused of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now their side pushed forward with total freedom. Lukebakio consistently displayed an ability to destabilize Howe's defense, and the home team were likely relieved to regroup at the break.
The opening period concluded with the keeper again rescuing his team by diverting the attacker's shot wide of the post, and as the sides came out for the second half, the match seemed evenly balanced.
If Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League appearances this season, played with the determination of a winger set to alter the balance in Newcastle's direction, the Benfica attacker had other plans.
Mourinho's winger had previously shown that, while Dan Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a born left-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time he advanced.
Howe might have felt easier had Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece over the bar from a good spot. Instead, this thrilling contest continued to swing from one goal to the other, persuading Newcastle's coach to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.
The Benfica boss, meanwhile, brought on an extra forward in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk that backfired.
Barnes Wins the Game
Before that, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese defender Antonio Silva, had done a fine job in limiting Nick Woltemade's space and pushing the German striker back. However, with right-back Amar Dedic off, the defense was weakened, and the path was open for Barnes to show that Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring wide player.
Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a wonderful throw in Barnes's path. When Silva, for once, misread the bounce, Barnes was clear, accelerating into the area before keeping impressive poise to fire a superb shot past the keeper.
When Barnes slid a shot through poor Trubin's feet after meeting Gordon's stellar through ball, it was all over. The Benfica manager had warned that Newcastle have four quick wingers, and three goals from a pair of wide men had shattered his hopes of earning Benfica's first European result of the campaign.
