Barnes Scores Twice as Newcastle Overcome Benfica and Mourinho
As the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and praised Eddie Howe and his players, home supporters feared a tough game. But such worries disappeared thanks to a strike from Anthony Gordon and two more from replacement Harvey Barnes, making sure Benfica's new manager did not inflict any trouble for Newcastle.
Match Dynamics and Early Action
The Benfica boss had forecast that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their similar aggressive style. Benfica certainly delighted in breaking up the Magpies' early attempts to establish a smooth passing tempo.
Adding to Newcastle's challenges, key players, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they continued convalescing from sickness and a knock respectively.
Prior to the start, the two managers shared a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it soon became apparent that Mourinho had told his team to subdue the crowd by delaying Newcastle and lowering the temperature at every chance.
Critical Moments and Turning Points
Benfica's strategy produced varied results, but when Gordon and his teammates succeeded to break through the defensive barricades, they initially found it hard to create clear chances.
Moreover, Benfica's Belgian winger Dodi Lukebakio almost showed scoring skill when, after leaving Dan Burn on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous strike that required an terrific one-handed stop. It's no surprise Pope still hopes for an national team return in time for the global tournament.
Yet when the winger directed another attempt off the post, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the scoreless tie.
Gordon's blazing speed had caused problems for Mourinho all evening, and he neatly slotted the opener past Trubin after his teammate's quick cross into the box proved effective.
On the occasion the Magpies' intense, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was there to pass a low ball across the face of goal for Gordon to polish off.
Second Half and Match-Winning Changes
Right from the start, Benfica could not be accused of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now their players pushed forward with total freedom. Lukebakio repeatedly showed an ability to destabilize Howe's back four, and the Magpies were likely grateful to reset at the break.
The opening period concluded with the keeper once more saving his team by tipping the attacker's shot wide of the goal frame, and as the teams emerged for the next period, everything seemed finely balanced.
If Gordon, clearly buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League games this campaign, played with the determination of a winger set to alter the balance in Newcastle's direction, Lukebakio had different ideas.
The manager's No 11 had previously emphasized that, while Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a born left-back, and home hearts were in mouths every time he moved forward.
Howe might have felt easier had Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner above the crossbar from a well-placed position. Rather, this thrilling game continued to move from one goal to the other, prompting Newcastle's coach to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.
Mourinho, meanwhile, brought on an extra forward in Franjo Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a risk that backfired.
Harvey Barnes Wins the Game
Before that, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had done a fine job in restricting Nick Woltemade's room and forcing Newcastle's German striker deep. But now, with defender Amar Dedic off, the defense was underpowered, and the path was open for Barnes to show that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.
The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a superb throw in the substitute's direction. When Silva, for once, misjudged the flight, the winger was clear, accelerating into the area before maintaining impressive poise to fire a superb shot past Trubin.
When Harvey Barnes rolled a shot through unfortunate Trubin's feet after meeting Anthony Gordon's excellent pass, it was finished. Mourinho had warned that Newcastle have several very fast wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had destroyed his chances of securing Benfica's first Champions League points of the season.
