Barnes Scores Two Goals as Newcastle Defeat Benfica and Mourinho
As the Benfica manager came at St James' Park and complimented Eddie Howe and his players, local supporters were concerned about a tough game. However such worries vanished thanks to a strike from Anthony Gordon and two more from replacement the forward, ensuring Benfica's new manager would not cause pain for Newcastle.
Match Dynamics and Early Exchanges
The Benfica boss had forecast that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their similar combative approach. The visitors clearly delighted in disrupting the Magpies' initial attempts to establish a smooth attacking rhythm.
Adding to the home team's issues, key midfielders, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they were recovering from sickness and injury respectively.
Before the start, the coaches shared a brief, reserved embrace, and it soon became apparent that Mourinho had instructed his team to quiet the crowd by delaying Newcastle and lowering the intensity at every chance.
Critical Events and Decisive Actions
Benfica's tactic produced mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to break through the defensive barricades, they initially found it hard to generate good opportunities.
Additionally, Benfica's Belgium winger Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating Dan Burn behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous shot that got an excellent one-handed save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an England return in time for the global tournament.
But when the winger hit a further attempt off the woodwork, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy fired off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range save from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon finally broke the scoreless tie.
Gordon's blazing pace had created problems for the Benfica coach all evening, and he neatly slotted the opener past Trubin after his teammate's quick ball into the box proved effective.
On the occasion the Magpies' intense, high press was not anticipated by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was available to pass a ground ball across the face of goal for the winger to finish.
Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions
From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now their players attacked with total abandon. The winger consistently showed an skill to unsettle Howe's back four, and the home team were probably relieved to reset at half-time.
The first half ended with Pope once more saving his team by tipping Lukebakio's shot wide of the post, and as the sides emerged for the next period, everything seemed finely balanced.
While Anthony Gordon, clearly buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League games this season, played with the zeal of a wide player aiming to alter the power balance in his team's favor, Lukebakio had different ideas.
The manager's No 11 had previously shown that, while Dan Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born left-back, and Newcastle hearts were nervous every time Lukebakio moved forward.
The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not directed a corner above the crossbar from a well-placed spot. Instead, this thrilling contest continued to move from one goal to the other, persuading Newcastle's coach to bring on Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.
The Benfica boss, meanwhile, brought on an additional forward in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk too far.
Harvey Barnes Seals the Game
Until then, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese back Silva, had performed a fine job in limiting Nick Woltemade's room and forcing the German striker deep. But now, with defender Amar Dedic off, the backline was weakened, and the way was open for Harvey Barnes to show that Gordon is not Howe's only attacking wide player.
The home side's two changes was already proving effective by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful long throw in Barnes's path. When Silva, on this occasion, misread the flight, Barnes was clear, sprinting into the area before keeping impressive poise to lash a superb strike past the keeper.
When Barnes rolled a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's legs after receiving Gordon's stellar pass, it was all over. Mourinho had warned that the Magpies have several very fast wingers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wide men had shattered his hopes of securing the team's first Champions League points of the campaign.