🔗 Share this article

When Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, home fans were concerned about a difficult game. But such fears vanished thanks to a goal from Anthony Gordon and a brace from substitute Harvey Barnes, making sure Benfica's new manager would not cause pain for Howe's team.

Match Dynamics and Initial Exchanges

The Benfica boss had forecast that the home side would be very physical, but his own team showed their own aggressive style. The visitors clearly delighted in disrupting the Magpies' early efforts to build a smooth passing rhythm.

Adding to the home team's issues, key players, Tonali and Joelinton, began as substitutes as they continued recovering from sickness and injury respectively.

Before the start, the two managers shared a brief, cool greeting, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his team to subdue the crowd by delaying the game and reducing the temperature whenever possible.

Critical Moments and Turning Points

Benfica's tactic yielded mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to dismantle the defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to generate clear opportunities.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgium attacker Lukebakio nearly showed scoring skill when, after beating Dan Burn on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that got an excellent one-handed save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team recall in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger hit another attempt against the post, Newcastle woke up. Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent near-post save from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

The England winger's blazing pace had created problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he calmly slotted the opener past Trubin after Murphy's early cross into the box paid off.

When the Magpies' hard, pressing game was not anticipated by Benfica, Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was available to deliver a ground ball across the goal for the winger to polish off.

Later Stages and Decisive Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now their players pushed forward with real freedom. The winger consistently showed an skill to unsettle Howe's back four, and the Magpies were probably relieved to reset at half-time.

The opening period concluded with Pope again saving his side by tipping Lukebakio's shot around the goal frame, and as the sides emerged for the second half, the match seemed evenly balanced.

If Gordon, clearly boosted by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League games this campaign, played with the zeal of a wide player aiming to alter the balance in his team's favor, the Benfica attacker had different ideas.

Mourinho's No 11 had previously emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born left-back, and home fans were in mouths every time he moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece above the crossbar from a well-placed spot. Rather, this absorbing game continued to move from one goal to the other, prompting the manager to introduce Joelinton and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, threw on an additional striker in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk that backfired.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Match

Until then, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese defender Silva, had done a good job in restricting Nick Woltemade's space and pushing the German striker back. However, with defender Dedic off, the backline was underpowered, and the way was clear for Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only attacking wide player.

Newcastle's two changes was already proving effective by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful long throw in the substitute's direction. When Silva, for once, misjudged the bounce, the winger was away, sprinting into the penalty box before keeping impressive poise to lash a sublime strike past the keeper.

After Harvey Barnes rolled a shot through unfortunate Trubin's feet after meeting Gordon's stellar through ball, it was all over. The Benfica manager had warned that the Magpies have four quick wingers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wide men had destroyed his hopes of securing Benfica's first Champions League points of the campaign.