Barnes Scores Two Goals as Newcastle Defeat Portuguese Side and Jose Mourinho
As Jose Mourinho arrived at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, local fans feared a tough match. However those worries vanished thanks to a strike from the winger and two more from replacement the forward, making sure the visitors' coach did not inflict pain for Howe's team.
Match Dynamics and Early Action
Mourinho had predicted that Newcastle would be very physical, but his own team showed their similar combative style. The visitors certainly delighted in disrupting the Magpies' initial attempts to build a smooth passing tempo.
Compounding the home team's challenges, key midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they continued convalescing from illness and a knock respectively.
Prior to kick-off, the coaches shared a perfunctory, cool embrace, and it quickly became clear that the Benfica coach had told his team to subdue the home fans by slowing the game and reducing the temperature whenever possible.
Critical Events and Decisive Actions
The visitors' strategy yielded mixed results, but when Gordon and his teammates succeeded to break through Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first struggled to create good chances.
Moreover, the Belgian attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after beating the defender on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful strike that required an excellent single-hand stop. It's no surprise Pope still hopes for an England recall in time for the World Cup.
Yet when the winger hit another shot against the post, Newcastle woke up. Murphy shot wide, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent near-post stop from Guimaraes before Gordon at last opened the deadlock.
Gordon's scorching speed had created problems for Mourinho all night, and he neatly slotted the first goal past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early ball into the box proved effective.
On the occasion Newcastle's hard, pressing game was not second-guessed by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to deliver a ground ball across the face of goal for Gordon to polish off.
Later Stages and Decisive Substitutions
Right from the start, Benfica could not be accused of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's players pushed forward with real freedom. The winger repeatedly showed an skill to destabilize Howe's defense, and the Magpies were probably relieved to reset at the break.
The opening period concluded with Pope once more saving his team by tipping Lukebakio's left-foot wide of the post, and as the sides came out for the second half, everything seemed evenly balanced.
While Anthony Gordon, clearly buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this campaign, played with the determination of a winger set to alter the balance in Newcastle's direction, the Benfica attacker had other ideas.
The manager's winger had previously shown that, while Dan Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a natural left-back, and Newcastle hearts were in mouths every time Lukebakio moved forward.
The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not directed a corner above the crossbar from a well-placed position. Rather, this absorbing game continued to swing from end to end, prompting the coach to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.
The Benfica boss, at the same time, brought on an extra forward in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk too far.
Barnes Wins the Match
Until then, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese back Silva, had performed a fine job in restricting Nick Woltemade's room and pushing Newcastle's German centre-forward deep. However, with right-back Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was weakened, and the path was open for Harvey Barnes to show that Gordon is not Howe's only attacking wide player.
Newcastle's double substitution was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a superb throw in the substitute's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misjudged the bounce, Barnes was clear, sprinting into the penalty box before keeping impressive composure to lash a sublime strike past the keeper.
After Harvey Barnes slid a low effort through unfortunate the goalkeeper's legs after meeting Gordon's stellar pass, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that Newcastle have four quick wide attackers, and three goals from two wide men had shattered his hopes of securing the team's first Champions League result of the campaign.
