Harvey Barnes Fires Two Goals as The Magpies Defeat Benfica and Jose Mourinho
When the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and complimented Eddie Howe and his squad, home fans feared a difficult match. However such fears disappeared due to a strike from the winger and two more from substitute Harvey Barnes, ensuring the visitors' coach would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.
Game Flow and Initial Exchanges
The Benfica boss had forecast that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their similar aggressive style. The visitors clearly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's initial efforts to build a fluent passing tempo.
Compounding the home team's issues, key players, Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they continued recovering from illness and a knock respectively.
Prior to kick-off, the two managers exchanged a perfunctory, cool greeting, and it soon became clear that Mourinho had instructed his side to subdue the home fans by delaying the game and lowering the intensity whenever possible.
Key Moments and Turning Points
Benfica's tactic yielded varied results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates succeeded to dismantle the backline, they initially struggled to create clear chances.
Additionally, the Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating the defender on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous shot that required an excellent single-hand stop. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team recall in time for the World Cup.
But when the winger directed another shot off the post, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy shot wide, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive near-post stop from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last broke the deadlock.
The England winger's blazing speed had caused consternation for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after Murphy's quick ball into the box proved effective.
On the occasion the Magpies' intense, high press was not second-guessed by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to pass a low cross across the goal for Gordon to finish.
Second Half and Match-Winning Substitutions
From the beginning, Benfica could not be accused of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their players pushed forward with total freedom. Lukebakio consistently showed an skill to destabilize Newcastle's back four, and the Magpies were probably relieved to reset at the break.
The opening period concluded with Pope once more saving his team by diverting the attacker's shot around the post, and as the sides emerged for the second half, the match seemed finely poised.
While Gordon, evidently boosted by netting his fourth strike in three Champions League games this season, played with the determination of a winger aiming to alter the power balance in Newcastle's favor, Lukebakio had other plans.
Mourinho's No 11 had previously shown that, while Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a born left-back, and home hearts were nervous every time he moved forward.
The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not directed a set-piece over the bar from a well-placed position. Instead, this absorbing contest continued to swing from end to end, persuading Newcastle's manager to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.
The Benfica boss, at the same time, brought on an additional striker in Franjo Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a gamble that backfired.
Harvey Barnes Wins the Game
Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had done a good job in limiting Woltemade's space and pushing the German centre-forward back. But now, with right-back Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the path was open for Harvey Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.
The home side's double substitution was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a wonderful throw in Barnes's direction. When Silva, for once, misread the bounce, the winger was clear, sprinting into the area before maintaining commendable composure to lash a superb shot past Trubin.
After Barnes slid a low effort through unfortunate Trubin's feet after receiving Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. Mourinho had warned that the Magpies have four quick wingers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wingers had destroyed his chances of earning the team's first European points of the season.