Barnes Fires Two Goals as The Magpies Defeat Benfica and Jose Mourinho
As Jose Mourinho arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, local supporters feared a tough match. But those fears vanished due to a strike from the winger and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, making sure the visitors' new manager would not cause pain for Newcastle.
Match Flow and Initial Action
Mourinho had forecast that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their own aggressive style. The visitors clearly delighted in breaking up the Magpies' early attempts to build a smooth attacking tempo.
Compounding Newcastle's issues, two players, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, began on the bench as they continued convalescing from illness and a knock respectively.
Prior to the start, the two managers shared a perfunctory, reserved embrace, and it soon became clear that Mourinho had told his side to quiet the home fans by delaying Newcastle and lowering the intensity whenever possible.
Critical Moments and Turning Points
Benfica's tactic produced mixed results, but when Gordon and his teammates succeeded to break through Benfica's backline, they at first found it hard to create good chances.
Moreover, Benfica's Belgium winger Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating Dan Burn behind, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous shot that got an terrific one-handed save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper still hopes for an England recall in time for the World Cup.
But when the winger directed a further shot off the post, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy fired off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range stop from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally opened the scoreless tie.
Gordon's blazing speed had caused consternation for the Benfica coach all night, and he calmly slotted the first goal past the goalkeeper after his teammate's early ball into the area paid off.
When Newcastle's hard, pressing game was not second-guessed by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to pass a ground cross across the goal for the winger to finish.
Later Stages and Decisive Changes
Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now their side attacked with real abandon. Lukebakio consistently showed an ability to destabilize Newcastle's defense, and the home team were likely relieved to reset at the break.
The first half ended with the keeper again rescuing his side by diverting Lukebakio's shot wide of the goal frame, and as the teams came out for the next period, everything seemed evenly balanced.
If Anthony Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth goal in three European games this campaign, played with the zeal of a wide player set to alter the power balance in his team's favor, Lukebakio had different ideas.
The manager's No 11 had already emphasized that, while Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a born left-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time he moved forward.
Howe might have felt easier had Miley, deputising for Tonali, not directed a set-piece over the bar from a good position. Rather, this thrilling contest continued to swing from one goal to the other, prompting the manager to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.
The Benfica boss, meanwhile, threw on an extra striker in Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a gamble too far.
Harvey Barnes Seals the Match
Until then, the away team, and in particular their Portugal defender Antonio Silva, had performed a good job in restricting Nick Woltemade's space and forcing Newcastle's Germany striker deep. However, with defender Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the path was clear for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking winger.
Newcastle's double substitution was already proving effective by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful long throw in the substitute's path. When Silva, for once, misjudged the flight, Barnes was clear, accelerating into the penalty box before keeping impressive poise to fire a superb shot past Trubin.
After Harvey Barnes rolled a shot through poor Trubin's legs after meeting Anthony Gordon's excellent pass, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that the Magpies have several quick wingers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had destroyed his hopes of earning Benfica's first Champions League points of the season.