Barnes Fires Twice as Newcastle Defeat Portuguese Side and Mourinho
When Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his squad, home fans were concerned about a tough game. But those worries vanished thanks to a goal from the winger and two more from substitute the forward, ensuring the visitors' new manager 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 own team displayed their own combative approach. The visitors certainly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's early efforts to build a fluent passing rhythm.
Compounding the home team's issues, key midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, started on the bench as they continued recovering from sickness and injury each.
Before kick-off, the two managers exchanged a perfunctory, reserved embrace, and it soon became clear that Mourinho had told his side to quiet the crowd by delaying the game and lowering the temperature at every chance.
Critical Moments and Decisive Actions
The visitors' strategy yielded mixed results, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle Benfica's backline, they at first struggled to generate good chances.
Additionally, Benfica's Belgian attacker Lukebakio nearly demonstrated scoring skill when, after leaving the defender behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that required an terrific one-handed save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an England recall in time for the World Cup.
But when Lukebakio directed another attempt against the post, the home side roused themselves. Murphy shot off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range save from Guimaraes before Gordon at last broke the deadlock.
Gordon's scorching speed had created problems for the Benfica coach all evening, and he calmly slotted the opener past Trubin after his teammate's quick cross into the box paid off.
When Newcastle's intense, high press was not anticipated by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was there to deliver a ground ball across the goal for the winger to polish off.
Second Half and Match-Winning Substitutions
From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now their players pushed forward with real freedom. The winger consistently displayed an ability to unsettle Howe's back four, and the Magpies were likely relieved to reset at the break.
The opening period ended with the keeper again saving his team by diverting the attacker's shot around the goal frame, and as the sides emerged for the next period, the match seemed finely poised.
If Anthony Gordon, clearly buoyed by netting his fourth strike in three European appearances this season, played with the determination of a winger set to shift the power balance in Newcastle's favor, Lukebakio had other ideas.
Mourinho's winger had previously emphasized that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born full-back, and home fans were in mouths every time he moved forward.
The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a set-piece over the bar from a good spot. Rather, this absorbing game continued to swing from end to end, persuading the manager to introduce Joelinton and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.
The Benfica boss, at the same time, threw on an additional forward in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk that backfired.
Harvey Barnes Seals the Match
Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese defender Silva, had done a good job in restricting Nick Woltemade's space and forcing Newcastle's German centre-forward deep. But now, with right-back Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the way was clear for Harvey Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking winger.
The home side's two changes was already proving effective by the time Pope sent a superb long throw in Barnes's direction. When Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the flight, Barnes was away, sprinting into the area before keeping commendable composure to fire a sublime strike past the keeper.
When Harvey Barnes slid a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's excellent pass, it was finished. Mourinho had warned that the Magpies have four very fast wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had destroyed his chances of securing the team's first Champions League points of the season.