Barnes Fires Twice as The Magpies Defeat Portuguese Side and Mourinho
When Jose Mourinho arrived at St James' Park and complimented Eddie Howe and his players, home supporters were concerned about a tough match. However those worries vanished due to a strike from Anthony Gordon and a brace from substitute Harvey Barnes, making sure Benfica's new manager did not inflict pain for Howe's team.
Game Flow and Initial Action
Mourinho had forecast that the home side would be very physical, but his own team showed their similar aggressive style. The visitors certainly delighted in breaking up the Magpies' initial attempts to establish a smooth passing tempo.
Compounding Newcastle's challenges, key players, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they were recovering from sickness and injury each.
Prior to kick-off, the two managers exchanged a perfunctory, reserved embrace, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his team to quiet the crowd by delaying Newcastle and reducing the temperature at every chance.
Key Events and Turning Points
The visitors' strategy produced mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates succeeded to dismantle the backline, they at first found it hard to create clear opportunities.
Additionally, the Belgian winger Lukebakio almost showed scoring skill when, after beating the defender behind, he tested Nick Pope with a tremendous strike that got an excellent one-handed save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an England recall in time for the global tournament.
Yet when Lukebakio directed a further attempt against the post, the home side woke up. Murphy shot off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive near-post stop from Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the scoreless tie.
Gordon's blazing speed had created problems for Mourinho all evening, and he neatly slotted the first goal past Trubin after Murphy's early ball into the area paid off.
When Newcastle's hard, pressing game was not second-guessed by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to deliver a ground cross across the goal for Gordon to polish off.
Later Stages and Decisive Substitutions
Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's players pushed forward with total abandon. The winger consistently displayed an ability to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the home team were likely grateful to reset at half-time.
The opening period ended with the keeper again rescuing his team by tipping Lukebakio's left-foot around the post, and as the sides emerged for the next period, the match seemed finely balanced.
If Gordon, evidently boosted by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League appearances this campaign, played with the zeal of a wide player set to shift the balance in Newcastle's favor, the Benfica attacker had different plans.
Mourinho's No 11 had already shown that, while Dan Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a natural left-back, and home fans were nervous every time Lukebakio moved forward.
The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece over the bar from a well-placed position. Instead, this absorbing game continued to swing from one goal to the other, prompting the manager to introduce Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.
Mourinho, at the same time, brought on an extra striker in Franjo Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a gamble too far.
Barnes Seals the Match
Before that, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had performed a fine job in limiting Nick Woltemade's room and forcing Newcastle's German striker back. But now, with right-back Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the way was open for Harvey Barnes to prove that Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring winger.
The home side's two changes was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a superb long throw in Barnes's direction. When Silva, for once, misread the flight, the winger was away, sprinting into the area before maintaining commendable composure to fire a sublime shot past Trubin.
After Barnes slid a low effort through unfortunate Trubin's legs after receiving Gordon's stellar pass, it was finished. Mourinho had warned that Newcastle have several very fast wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had destroyed his hopes of securing the team's first European points of the season.
