Barnes Fires Twice as The Magpies Defeat Portuguese Side and Mourinho
As the Benfica manager came at Newcastle's stadium and complimented Newcastle's coach and his squad, local fans feared a tough game. However such worries vanished due to a strike from the winger and two more from substitute the forward, making sure the visitors' coach would not cause pain for Newcastle.
Game Dynamics and Initial Action
Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their own combative approach. Benfica certainly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's early 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 illness and injury each.
Before the start, the coaches shared a perfunctory, reserved embrace, and it quickly became clear that Mourinho had told his side to subdue the home fans by slowing Newcastle and lowering the intensity at every chance.
Critical Moments and Turning Points
The visitors' strategy produced varied outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they initially found it hard to create good opportunities.
Additionally, the Belgian attacker Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating the defender on the ground, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that required an excellent one-handed save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team return in time for the global tournament.
Yet when Lukebakio directed another attempt against the woodwork, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy shot off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent near-post stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the scoreless tie.
Gordon's blazing speed had created problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly slotted the first goal past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early ball into the box proved effective.
When Newcastle's intense, high press was not second-guessed by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to deliver a ground ball across the goal for the winger to finish.
Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions
Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now their side pushed forward with total abandon. The winger consistently showed an skill to unsettle Howe's back four, and the Magpies were probably grateful to reset at the break.
The opening period concluded with Pope again saving his team by tipping the attacker's left-foot wide of the goal frame, and as the sides emerged for the second half, everything seemed evenly balanced.
While Gordon, clearly boosted by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League games this season, played with the determination of a winger aiming to shift the power balance in Newcastle's favor, the Benfica attacker had different plans.
Mourinho's winger had already emphasized that, while Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a born left-back, and Newcastle hearts were in mouths every time he moved forward.
Howe might have felt easier had Miley, filling in for Tonali, not headed a corner over the crossbar from a well-placed position. Instead, this thrilling game continued to swing from one goal to the other, persuading the manager to introduce the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.
Mourinho, at the same time, threw on an additional striker in Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a gamble that backfired.
Barnes Seals the Game
Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese back Silva, had done a fine job in restricting Nick Woltemade's space and forcing Newcastle's Germany centre-forward back. However, with defender Dedic off, the defense was underpowered, and the way was clear for Barnes to show that Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring wide player.
Newcastle's two changes was already proving effective by the time Pope sent a wonderful long throw in the substitute's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misread the flight, the winger was clear, sprinting into the area before maintaining impressive poise to fire a superb shot past Trubin.
After Harvey Barnes rolled a low effort through unfortunate the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Anthony Gordon's stellar through ball, it was all over. Mourinho had warned that Newcastle have four very fast wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had shattered his chances of securing Benfica's first European result of the campaign.
