Barnes Fires Twice as The Magpies Defeat Benfica and Jose Mourinho
As the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his squad, home supporters feared a difficult match. But those fears disappeared due to a strike from the winger and two more from replacement the forward, making sure Benfica's new manager did not inflict pain for Howe's team.
Match Flow and Initial Action
The Benfica boss had forecast that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their similar combative approach. The visitors clearly delighted in breaking up the Magpies' initial attempts to establish a smooth passing tempo.
Adding to Newcastle's challenges, two midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they were recovering from illness and a knock each.
Before the start, the two managers shared a perfunctory, cool embrace, and it soon became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his team to quiet the home fans by slowing the game and lowering the intensity whenever possible.
Critical Moments and Decisive Actions
Benfica's tactic yielded varied results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates succeeded to break through Benfica's defensive barricades, they initially struggled to generate clear opportunities.
Moreover, the Belgian attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after beating Dan Burn behind, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that got an terrific one-handed save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper still hopes for an England recall in time for the global tournament.
But when Lukebakio directed a further shot against the post, the home side woke up. Murphy shot off target, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent near-post save from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon at last opened the scoreless tie.
The England winger's blazing pace had caused problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he calmly slotted the first goal past the goalkeeper after his teammate's early ball into the box proved effective.
On the occasion Newcastle's intense, high press was not second-guessed by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was available to deliver a ground cross across the goal for Gordon 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 repeatedly displayed an ability to unsettle Howe's back four, and the home team were likely relieved to reset at half-time.
The opening period concluded with Pope again rescuing his side by diverting Lukebakio's shot wide of the goal frame, and as the teams came out for the second half, the match seemed evenly balanced.
While Anthony Gordon, clearly buoyed by netting his fourth strike in three European games this campaign, played with the zeal of a wide player set to alter the balance in his team's favor, the Benfica attacker had other plans.
The manager's No 11 had already shown that, while Dan Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a natural full-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio moved forward.
Howe might have relaxed had Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner over the bar from a well-placed position. Instead, this absorbing game continued to move from one goal to the other, persuading Newcastle's manager to bring on the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.
Mourinho, meanwhile, brought on an extra striker in Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a risk that backfired.
Barnes Seals the Match
Until then, the away team, and especially their Portugal defender Antonio Silva, had performed a fine job in restricting Nick Woltemade's room and pushing the German striker deep. However, with right-back Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the way was clear for Harvey Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring winger.
Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a wonderful long throw in Barnes's path. When Silva, for once, misjudged the bounce, the winger was away, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining impressive composure to lash 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 all over. The Benfica manager had warned that Newcastle have several very fast wingers, and three goals from two wingers had shattered his chances of earning Benfica's first Champions League points of the campaign.