🔗 Share this article

When the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and complimented Eddie Howe and his squad, home supporters were concerned about a difficult game. But those fears disappeared due to a goal from the winger and two more from substitute Harvey Barnes, making sure the visitors' coach did not inflict any trouble for Howe's team.

Match Flow and Early Action

Mourinho had forecast that the home side would be very physical, but his Benfica players showed their own aggressive style. Benfica certainly enjoyed breaking up the Magpies' early attempts to build a smooth passing tempo.

Compounding the home team's challenges, key midfielders, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, began on the bench as they were recovering from sickness and a knock respectively.

Prior to kick-off, the coaches exchanged a brief, reserved greeting, and it soon became clear that the Benfica coach had told his side to quiet the crowd by delaying Newcastle and reducing the intensity whenever possible.

Critical Events and Decisive Actions

Benfica's strategy produced varied results, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to break through the backline, they initially found it hard to create clear opportunities.

Moreover, the Belgian attacker Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous strike that got an excellent single-hand save. No wonder the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team return in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger directed a further shot against the post, Newcastle roused themselves. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent near-post save from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last opened the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching pace had caused consternation for Mourinho all evening, and he neatly side-footed the first goal past the goalkeeper after his teammate's quick cross into the box proved effective.

On the occasion Newcastle's hard, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to deliver a low ball across the goal for the winger to finish.

Second Half and Decisive Substitutions

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now their players pushed forward with real freedom. Lukebakio repeatedly showed an skill to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the home team were probably relieved to regroup at the break.

The first half ended with Pope again saving his side by diverting Lukebakio's left-foot around the goal frame, and as the teams emerged for the second half, the match seemed finely poised.

If Anthony Gordon, clearly boosted by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League games this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger set to alter the balance in Newcastle's direction, the Benfica attacker had different ideas.

The manager's winger had previously emphasized that, while Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a born full-back, and Newcastle hearts were in mouths every time he moved forward.

Howe might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a corner above the crossbar from a good position. Rather, this absorbing game continued to move from one goal to the other, prompting the manager to bring on Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, threw on an extra striker in Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a risk that backfired.

Harvey Barnes Wins the Match

Until then, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had performed a good job in restricting Woltemade's room and pushing Newcastle's Germany centre-forward back. But now, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the path was open for Harvey Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.

The home side's double substitution was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a superb long throw in Barnes's direction. When Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the bounce, the winger was clear, accelerating into the penalty box before maintaining commendable poise to fire a sublime shot past the keeper.

After Barnes rolled a shot through poor Trubin's feet after receiving Anthony Gordon's stellar pass, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that the Magpies have several very fast wingers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wingers had shattered his chances of earning Benfica's first European points of the season.