Barnes Fires Twice as Newcastle Overcome Benfica and Jose Mourinho

When Jose Mourinho arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Newcastle's coach and his squad, local fans feared a difficult match. But those fears vanished due to a goal from Anthony Gordon and a brace from substitute Harvey Barnes, ensuring Benfica's coach would not cause any trouble for Howe's team.

Game Flow and Initial Action

The Benfica boss had predicted that Newcastle would be very physical, but his Benfica players showed their own aggressive approach. The visitors clearly enjoyed breaking up the Magpies' early attempts to establish a smooth attacking tempo.

Compounding the home team's issues, key players, Tonali and Joelinton, began on the bench as they continued recovering from illness and a knock respectively.

Before the start, the coaches exchanged a perfunctory, reserved embrace, and it soon became clear that Mourinho had instructed his team to quiet the home fans by delaying Newcastle and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Critical Events and Turning Points

Benfica's strategy produced varied results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates managed to dismantle the backline, they initially struggled to create clear opportunities.

Moreover, the Belgian attacker Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after beating Dan Burn on the ground, he forced Nick Pope with a powerful shot that got an excellent one-handed save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team recall in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger hit a further attempt against the woodwork, the home side roused themselves. Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon at last broke the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching pace had caused consternation for Mourinho all night, and he calmly side-footed the opener past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early cross into the area proved effective.

On the occasion Newcastle's hard, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was available to pass a ground ball across the goal for the winger to finish.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be accused of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's players attacked with total abandon. The winger consistently displayed an skill to destabilize Newcastle's back four, and the home team were likely relieved to regroup at half-time.

The first half ended with the keeper again rescuing his side by diverting Lukebakio's left-foot around the goal frame, and as the teams came out for the second half, the match seemed evenly poised.

If Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League games this season, played with the determination of a wide player set to shift the power balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had different plans.

Mourinho's winger had already emphasized that, while Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a natural full-back, and home hearts were in mouths every time he moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not directed a corner over the crossbar from a good spot. Instead, this absorbing game continued to move from end to end, prompting the coach to introduce Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, at the same time, threw on an extra striker in Franjo Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a gamble that backfired.

Barnes Seals the Match

Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portugal defender Silva, had done a good job in limiting Woltemade's room and forcing Newcastle's German striker back. But now, with defender Dedic off, the backline was weakened, and the path was open for Harvey Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only attacking winger.

Newcastle's double substitution was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper sent a wonderful long throw in the substitute's path. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the bounce, the winger was clear, sprinting into the area before keeping commendable poise to lash a superb strike past Trubin.

When Harvey Barnes rolled a shot through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that Newcastle have several quick wide attackers, and three goals from two wide men had destroyed his hopes of securing Benfica's first European result of the season.