Harvey Barnes Scores Two Goals as Newcastle Defeat Benfica and Jose Mourinho
As the Benfica manager arrived at Newcastle's stadium and complimented Eddie Howe and his squad, local supporters feared a difficult match. However those worries disappeared thanks to a strike from Anthony Gordon and a brace from substitute the forward, making sure Benfica's new manager would not cause pain for Newcastle.
Game Dynamics and Early Exchanges
The Benfica boss had predicted that Newcastle would be very physical, but his Benfica players showed their similar combative style. The visitors certainly delighted in breaking up the Magpies' initial efforts to build a fluent attacking tempo.
Adding to Newcastle's issues, key midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, began as substitutes as they were recovering from sickness and injury each.
Before the start, the two managers exchanged a brief, cool embrace, and it soon became clear that the Benfica coach had instructed his side to quiet the home fans by delaying Newcastle and reducing the temperature at every chance.
Key Events and Turning Points
The visitors' tactic yielded mixed outcomes, but when Gordon and his teammates managed to break through the defensive barricades, they initially found it hard to create good chances.
Moreover, Benfica's Belgium attacker Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that got an excellent one-handed stop. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an England recall in time for the global tournament.
Yet when Lukebakio hit a further attempt against the post, Newcastle roused themselves. Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive near-post stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon at last broke the scoreless tie.
The England winger's scorching speed had created problems for Mourinho all night, and he neatly side-footed the first goal past the goalkeeper after his teammate's early ball into the box proved effective.
On the occasion Newcastle's hard, high press was not second-guessed by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was available to pass a low ball across the face of goal for Gordon to polish off.
Later Stages and Decisive Substitutions
Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's side attacked with total freedom. Lukebakio consistently showed an ability to destabilize Howe's back four, and the home team were likely relieved to regroup at half-time.
The first half concluded with Pope once more rescuing his team by diverting the attacker's left-foot wide of the post, and as the sides emerged for the next period, everything seemed evenly balanced.
While Gordon, clearly boosted by netting his fourth strike in three European games this campaign, played with the determination of a wide player set to shift the balance in his team's direction, Lukebakio had other plans.
Mourinho's No 11 had already emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born left-back, and Newcastle hearts were in mouths every time he moved forward.
Howe might have felt easier had Miley, filling in for Tonali, not headed a set-piece above the crossbar from a good position. Rather, this thrilling game continued to move from end to end, persuading the coach to introduce Joelinton and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.
The Benfica boss, at the same time, threw on an additional striker in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk that backfired.
Barnes Seals the Game
Until then, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese defender Silva, had done a good job in limiting Nick Woltemade's room and pushing Newcastle's German centre-forward deep. But now, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was weakened, and the way was open for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.
Newcastle's two changes was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a superb long throw in the substitute's direction. When Silva, for once, misread the bounce, the winger was clear, accelerating into the penalty box before keeping commendable composure to fire a superb strike past Trubin.
After Harvey Barnes rolled a shot through poor Trubin's legs after meeting Gordon's stellar pass, it was all over. Mourinho had cautioned that Newcastle have several very fast wide attackers, and three goals from a pair of wide men had shattered his hopes of earning the team's first European points of the campaign.
