Barnes Scores Twice as Newcastle Defeat Portuguese Side and Mourinho
As Jose Mourinho arrived at St James' Park and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, home supporters feared a tough game. But those worries vanished thanks to a strike from the winger and two more from replacement the forward, making sure the visitors' coach would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.
Game Dynamics and Initial Action
The Benfica boss had forecast that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players showed their similar aggressive approach. The visitors clearly delighted in breaking up the Magpies' initial efforts to build a fluent attacking rhythm.
Adding to Newcastle's challenges, two midfielders, Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they were convalescing from sickness and injury respectively.
Prior to the start, the coaches exchanged a brief, reserved embrace, and it soon became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his side to quiet the crowd by delaying Newcastle and reducing the intensity whenever possible.
Critical Moments and Decisive Actions
The visitors' tactic produced mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates succeeded to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first struggled to generate clear chances.
Moreover, Benfica's Belgian winger Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving the defender behind, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that got an excellent single-hand save. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team return in time for the global tournament.
But when the winger directed another shot against the post, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive close-range save from Guimaraes before Gordon finally broke the scoreless tie.
The England winger's scorching pace had created problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly slotted the first goal past the goalkeeper after his teammate's early ball into the area paid off.
When Newcastle's intense, high press was not anticipated by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to pass a low cross across the goal for Gordon to polish off.
Second Half and Decisive Substitutions
From the beginning, Benfica could not be accused of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now their players attacked with total abandon. Lukebakio consistently displayed an ability to destabilize Newcastle's defense, and the home team were probably relieved to regroup at half-time.
The first half ended with Pope once more rescuing his side by tipping Lukebakio's left-foot around the post, and as the sides came out for the next period, the match seemed finely balanced.
While Gordon, evidently boosted by netting his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this season, played with the determination of a winger set to shift the balance in Newcastle's direction, Lukebakio had different ideas.
The manager's winger had already shown that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born full-back, and Newcastle hearts were in mouths every time he moved forward.
The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner above the crossbar from a good spot. Rather, this absorbing game continued to move from end to end, persuading the manager to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.
Mourinho, at the same time, brought on an additional forward in Franjo Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a risk too far.
Harvey Barnes Wins the Game
Before that, the away team, and especially their Portuguese defender Antonio Silva, had performed a fine job in limiting Nick Woltemade's room and forcing the German striker deep. But now, with defender Dedic off, the defense was underpowered, and the path was clear for Harvey Barnes to prove that Gordon is not Howe's only attacking winger.
Newcastle's double substitution was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful long throw in Barnes's direction. When Silva, for once, misread the bounce, the winger was clear, accelerating into the penalty box before keeping impressive poise to fire a superb strike past Trubin.
When Harvey Barnes rolled a shot through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Anthony Gordon's excellent through ball, it was all over. The Benfica manager had cautioned that Newcastle have several quick wingers, and three goals from two wingers had shattered his hopes of securing Benfica's first European result of the campaign.
