Barnes Scores Twice as The Magpies Defeat Benfica and Mourinho
When the Benfica manager came at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, local supporters feared a tough game. But those fears disappeared due to a goal from Anthony Gordon and two more from replacement the forward, ensuring the visitors' new manager did not inflict any trouble for Howe's team.
Match Flow and Initial Action
Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be very physical, but his own team showed their similar aggressive style. The visitors clearly delighted in breaking up the Magpies' early attempts to build a fluent attacking tempo.
Compounding the home team's challenges, two midfielders, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, started on the bench as they continued recovering from sickness and injury respectively.
Before kick-off, the two managers exchanged a brief, reserved greeting, and it soon became clear that the Benfica coach had told his side to subdue the home fans by slowing Newcastle and lowering the intensity whenever possible.
Key Moments and Turning Points
Benfica's strategy yielded mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates managed to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they initially found it hard to create clear opportunities.
Moreover, the Belgium winger Dodi Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving the defender on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that got an excellent one-handed stop. It's no surprise Pope retains hope for an national team return in time for the global tournament.
Yet when Lukebakio directed a further attempt off the post, the home side roused themselves. Murphy fired off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the deadlock.
Gordon's scorching pace had created problems for the Benfica coach all evening, and he calmly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's early ball into the box proved effective.
When the Magpies' intense, high press was not anticipated by Benfica, Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was there to pass a ground ball across the face of goal for the winger to polish off.
Second Half and Match-Winning Changes
Right from the start, Benfica could not be accused of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's side pushed forward with total abandon. The winger repeatedly displayed an skill to unsettle Howe's back four, and the Magpies were likely grateful to regroup at the break.
The first half ended with the keeper again saving his team by tipping the attacker's shot wide of the goal frame, and as the sides came out for the second half, everything seemed finely poised.
If Anthony Gordon, clearly buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this season, played with the determination of a winger aiming to alter the balance in Newcastle's direction, the Benfica attacker had different plans.
The manager's winger had previously shown that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a natural full-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio advanced.
The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece above the crossbar from a well-placed position. Rather, this thrilling contest continued to swing from one goal to the other, persuading the manager to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.
Mourinho, at the same time, threw on an extra forward in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a gamble too far.
Barnes Wins the Match
Until then, Benfica, and especially their Portugal defender Silva, had done a good job in limiting Nick Woltemade's space and forcing the German striker back. But now, with defender Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the path was clear for Barnes to prove that Gordon is not the manager's only attacking winger.
The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful long throw in Barnes's direction. When Silva, for once, misread the flight, Barnes was clear, accelerating into the penalty box before maintaining impressive poise to lash a sublime strike past Trubin.
After Barnes rolled a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's feet after receiving Anthony Gordon's stellar through ball, it was finished. Mourinho had cautioned that the Magpies have several 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.
