Barnes Fires Two Goals as Newcastle Defeat Benfica and Mourinho
When the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, home fans were concerned about a difficult game. However such fears vanished due to a strike from the winger and two more from substitute Harvey Barnes, making sure the visitors' coach did not inflict any trouble for Newcastle.
Match Dynamics and Initial Exchanges
Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their own combative style. The visitors clearly delighted in disrupting the Magpies' initial attempts to establish a fluent passing tempo.
Compounding Newcastle's issues, key midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they were convalescing from sickness and injury each.
Prior to kick-off, the coaches exchanged a perfunctory, reserved embrace, and it soon became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his team to quiet the home fans by delaying Newcastle and reducing the intensity whenever possible.
Key Events and Decisive Actions
Benfica's strategy produced mixed outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to break through the backline, they initially found it hard to generate good opportunities.
Additionally, the Belgian winger Lukebakio nearly demonstrated scoring skill when, after beating Dan Burn behind, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful strike that got an terrific one-handed save. It's no surprise Pope retains hope for an England return in time for the World Cup.
But when the winger hit another shot off the woodwork, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent near-post save from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon at last opened the scoreless tie.
Gordon's blazing speed had caused consternation for Mourinho all evening, and he calmly slotted the opener past Trubin after his teammate's early ball into the area paid off.
When the Magpies' hard, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to pass a low ball across the face of goal for the winger to finish.
Second Half and Decisive Changes
Right from the start, Benfica could not be accused of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's side attacked with real abandon. The winger consistently displayed an skill to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the Magpies were likely relieved to reset at half-time.
The opening period concluded with the keeper once more saving his side by tipping the attacker's left-foot wide of the goal frame, and as the teams emerged for the next period, everything seemed finely balanced.
If Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this campaign, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to alter the balance in Newcastle's favor, Lukebakio had different ideas.
The manager's winger had already emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a born full-back, and home fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio advanced.
The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece above the crossbar from a well-placed position. Instead, this thrilling contest continued to move from one goal to the other, persuading Newcastle's coach to introduce the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.
The Benfica boss, meanwhile, brought on an additional striker in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a gamble that backfired.
Harvey Barnes Seals the Game
Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese defender Silva, had performed a good job in limiting Woltemade's room and forcing the Germany centre-forward back. But now, with right-back Amar Dedic off, the backline was underpowered, and the way was open for Harvey Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking winger.
The home side's double substitution was already paying off by the time Pope sent a superb long throw in Barnes's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misread the flight, the winger was clear, accelerating into the penalty box before maintaining impressive composure to lash a sublime strike past Trubin.
After Barnes slid a shot through poor Trubin's feet after meeting Anthony Gordon's stellar through ball, it was finished. The Benfica manager had cautioned that Newcastle have four quick wingers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had shattered his chances of securing the team's first European result of the season.
