Harvey Barnes Fires Twice as Newcastle Defeat Benfica and Mourinho
When Jose Mourinho arrived at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his squad, local fans feared a difficult match. However such fears vanished due to a goal from Anthony Gordon and two more from substitute the forward, ensuring Benfica's new manager did not inflict pain for Howe's team.
Match Dynamics and Initial Exchanges
Mourinho had forecast that Newcastle would be very physical, but his own team displayed their own aggressive approach. Benfica certainly enjoyed breaking up Newcastle's early efforts to build a smooth passing tempo.
Compounding Newcastle's challenges, key midfielders, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, began as substitutes as they continued recovering from sickness and injury each.
Before the start, the two managers exchanged a brief, reserved greeting, and it quickly became clear that the Benfica coach had told his side to subdue the crowd by slowing Newcastle and reducing the temperature whenever possible.
Key Moments and Decisive Actions
The visitors' tactic produced mixed outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates succeeded to dismantle Benfica's backline, they initially struggled to create clear chances.
Additionally, the Belgian winger Lukebakio almost demonstrated scoring skill when, after leaving the defender on the ground, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that got an terrific one-handed stop. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an England recall in time for the World Cup.
Yet when the winger hit another shot off the post, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy shot off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent close-range stop from Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the scoreless tie.
Gordon's scorching pace had created problems for Mourinho all night, and he calmly slotted the first goal past Trubin after his teammate's quick cross into the box proved effective.
On the occasion Newcastle's hard, pressing game was not second-guessed by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to pass a low cross across the goal for the winger to polish off.
Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions
From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be accused of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now their players pushed forward with real freedom. Lukebakio repeatedly displayed an skill to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the Magpies were likely relieved to regroup at half-time.
The first half concluded with the keeper again rescuing his team by tipping the attacker's shot wide of the goal frame, and as the teams came out for the second half, everything seemed finely balanced.
While Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this season, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to shift the power balance in Newcastle's favor, the Benfica attacker had different plans.
Mourinho's winger had previously emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a born left-back, and Newcastle hearts were in mouths every time he moved forward.
Howe might have relaxed had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece over the bar from a good spot. Instead, this absorbing contest continued to swing from end to end, prompting the coach to bring on Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.
Mourinho, meanwhile, brought on an extra forward in Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a gamble too far.
Harvey Barnes Wins the Game
Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had done a good job in restricting Woltemade's room and pushing Newcastle's Germany striker back. However, with right-back Amar Dedic off, the defense was weakened, and the way was clear for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking winger.
Newcastle's double substitution was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper sent a wonderful long throw in the substitute's direction. When Silva, for once, misread the bounce, Barnes was away, sprinting into the area before maintaining impressive poise to fire a sublime strike past the keeper.
When Barnes rolled a low effort through unfortunate Trubin's legs after meeting Gordon's excellent pass, it was finished. Mourinho had cautioned that the Magpies have several very fast wingers, and three goals from two wingers had destroyed his chances of securing the team's first Champions League points of the campaign.
