Barnes Fires Two Goals as Newcastle Defeat Portuguese Side and Jose Mourinho
When the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and complimented Newcastle's coach and his squad, local supporters were concerned about a tough game. However those worries vanished due to a strike from Anthony Gordon and a brace from replacement the forward, ensuring the visitors' coach would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.
Game Flow and Initial Exchanges
The Benfica boss had predicted that Newcastle would be very physical, but his own team displayed their own aggressive style. The visitors certainly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's initial attempts to establish a fluent passing tempo.
Adding to Newcastle's issues, key midfielders, Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they were recovering from illness and injury respectively.
Before the start, the coaches exchanged a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it quickly became clear that the Benfica coach had told his side to subdue the crowd by delaying the game and reducing the temperature whenever possible.
Key Moments and Decisive Actions
The visitors' tactic yielded mixed outcomes, but when Gordon and his teammates managed to dismantle the defensive barricades, they initially struggled to generate clear opportunities.
Moreover, the Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after beating the defender on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful strike that got an terrific one-handed stop. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team return in time for the World Cup.
Yet when the winger hit a further shot against the post, Newcastle roused themselves. Murphy shot off target, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent close-range save from Guimaraes before Gordon finally broke the scoreless tie.
The England winger's blazing pace had caused consternation for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly slotted the first goal past the goalkeeper after his teammate's early ball into the area paid off.
When the Magpies' intense, pressing game was not second-guessed by Benfica, Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was there to pass a low ball across the goal for the winger to finish.
Second Half and Decisive Substitutions
From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's side attacked with real abandon. The winger consistently displayed an ability to unsettle Howe's defense, and the Magpies were probably grateful to reset at half-time.
The opening period ended with the keeper again saving his team by diverting Lukebakio's shot around the post, and as the teams emerged for the next period, the match seemed evenly poised.
While Gordon, clearly boosted by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this season, played with the determination of a wide player set to shift the power balance in his team's direction, Lukebakio had other plans.
Mourinho's winger had previously emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a born full-back, and home fans were nervous every time Lukebakio moved forward.
The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not headed a set-piece over the bar from a well-placed position. Rather, this absorbing contest continued to move from end to end, prompting the manager to bring on the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.
The Benfica boss, meanwhile, threw on an extra striker in Franjo Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a gamble that backfired.
Harvey Barnes Wins the Match
Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese defender Silva, had done a good job in limiting Woltemade's space and pushing the Germany centre-forward deep. But now, with defender Amar Dedic off, the backline was underpowered, and the path was clear for Harvey Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only attacking winger.
Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope sent a superb long throw in the substitute's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misjudged the flight, Barnes was away, accelerating into the area before maintaining commendable poise to lash a sublime shot past Trubin.
After Harvey Barnes slid a shot through unfortunate Trubin's feet after meeting Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. The Benfica manager had cautioned that Newcastle have several quick wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had destroyed his hopes of securing the team's first Champions League result of the campaign.
