Harvey Barnes Scores Two Goals as The Magpies Defeat Benfica and Jose Mourinho
As Jose Mourinho came at Newcastle's stadium and complimented Eddie Howe and his squad, home supporters were concerned about a tough game. But such fears vanished due to a strike from Anthony Gordon and a brace from substitute the forward, making sure Benfica's coach did not inflict any trouble for Howe's team.
Game Dynamics and Initial Exchanges
Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their similar combative approach. Benfica certainly delighted in disrupting the Magpies' initial efforts to establish a fluent passing rhythm.
Compounding the home team's issues, two midfielders, Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they were recovering from sickness and injury each.
Before kick-off, the two managers exchanged a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his team to quiet the home fans by delaying Newcastle and reducing the temperature whenever possible.
Key Events and Turning Points
The visitors' tactic yielded mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates managed to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they initially struggled to generate good chances.
Additionally, Benfica's Belgian winger Dodi Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after leaving the defender on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful strike that required an terrific one-handed stop. No wonder the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team return in time for the global tournament.
But when the winger directed another attempt off the woodwork, Newcastle woke up. Murphy fired off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last broke the deadlock.
The England winger's scorching pace had caused problems for the Benfica coach all evening, and he neatly slotted the first goal past Trubin after Murphy's quick cross into the box proved effective.
When Newcastle's hard, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was there to pass a ground cross across the face of goal for Gordon to polish off.
Second Half and Match-Winning Substitutions
From the beginning, Benfica could not be accused of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now their players attacked with total abandon. Lukebakio consistently displayed an ability to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the Magpies were probably grateful to reset at half-time.
The opening period concluded with the keeper once more saving his team by diverting Lukebakio's shot wide of the post, and as the sides came out for the next period, the match seemed evenly balanced.
While Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three European appearances this season, played with the zeal of a wide player aiming to shift the balance in his team's favor, Lukebakio had other plans.
The manager's winger had previously emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a born full-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time he moved forward.
The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece over the crossbar from a good spot. Instead, this absorbing contest continued to swing from end to end, persuading the coach to introduce Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.
Mourinho, meanwhile, threw on an extra striker in Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a risk that backfired.
Barnes Seals the Game
Before that, Benfica, and in particular their Portuguese back Silva, had done a good job in restricting Woltemade's space and pushing the Germany striker deep. However, with defender Dedic off, the defense was underpowered, and the way was clear for Barnes to show that Gordon is not Howe's only attacking winger.
Newcastle's double substitution was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper sent a superb long throw in Barnes's direction. When Silva, on this occasion, misread the bounce, the winger was clear, sprinting into the area before maintaining commendable composure to lash a sublime shot past Trubin.
After Barnes rolled a low effort through unfortunate Trubin's feet after receiving Anthony Gordon's stellar pass, it was all over. The Benfica manager had cautioned that the Magpies have four quick wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had destroyed his hopes of securing the team's first Champions League points of the campaign.
