Harvey Barnes Scores Twice as The Magpies Defeat Benfica and Mourinho
When the Benfica manager arrived at Newcastle's stadium and complimented Newcastle's coach and his squad, local supporters were concerned about a difficult game. However such worries vanished thanks to a goal from the winger and two more from replacement the forward, making sure the visitors' coach did not inflict pain for Howe's team.
Game Flow and Initial Exchanges
The Benfica boss had forecast that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their similar aggressive approach. Benfica clearly enjoyed disrupting the Magpies' initial attempts to establish a fluent attacking rhythm.
Compounding Newcastle's challenges, two midfielders, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, began as substitutes as they were convalescing from illness and a knock each.
Before the start, the coaches shared a perfunctory, cool greeting, and it soon became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his side to subdue the crowd by slowing the game and reducing the temperature whenever possible.
Critical Events and Turning Points
The visitors' tactic yielded varied results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates managed to dismantle the defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to generate clear chances.
Additionally, Benfica's Belgian winger Dodi Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after leaving the defender behind, he tested Nick Pope with a powerful strike that required an excellent single-hand save. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team recall in time for the World Cup.
But when Lukebakio directed a further shot off the post, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive near-post save from Guimaraes before Gordon finally broke the deadlock.
The England winger's blazing speed had caused consternation for Mourinho all night, and he neatly side-footed the opener past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early ball into the area proved effective.
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 ball across the goal for the winger to polish off.
Second Half and Decisive Changes
Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their side attacked with real abandon. The winger repeatedly displayed an skill to unsettle Howe's defense, and the home team were probably grateful to reset at half-time.
The opening period concluded with the keeper once more rescuing his team by tipping Lukebakio's shot wide of the post, and as the sides came out for the second half, the match seemed finely poised.
While Anthony Gordon, clearly buoyed by netting his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this campaign, played with the determination of a winger aiming to shift the balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had different ideas.
The manager's winger had already shown that, while Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a born full-back, and home hearts were nervous every time Lukebakio moved forward.
Howe might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, deputising for Tonali, not headed a set-piece above the crossbar from a well-placed spot. Instead, this absorbing contest continued to move from end to end, prompting the coach to introduce the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.
The Benfica boss, at the same time, brought on an additional striker in Franjo Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a gamble too far.
Barnes Wins the Game
Until then, Benfica, and especially their Portugal defender Antonio Silva, had done a fine job in limiting Nick Woltemade's room and forcing Newcastle's Germany striker deep. But now, with right-back Dedic substituted, the defense was underpowered, and the way was open for Barnes to show that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.
Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper sent a wonderful throw in Barnes's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misread the bounce, Barnes was away, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining commendable poise to fire a sublime strike past the keeper.
When Barnes slid a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's legs after receiving Gordon's stellar through ball, it was all over. The Benfica manager had warned that the Magpies have several quick wingers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wide men had destroyed his hopes of securing the team's first Champions League points of the season.
