🔗 Share this article

When Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, local supporters were concerned about a tough game. However such fears vanished thanks to a strike from the winger and a brace from substitute the forward, making sure the visitors' new manager did not inflict any trouble for Newcastle.

Match Dynamics and Initial Action

The Benfica boss had predicted that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their similar aggressive approach. The visitors clearly delighted in disrupting the Magpies' initial efforts to establish a smooth attacking rhythm.

Adding to Newcastle's issues, key players, Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they were recovering from illness and a knock respectively.

Before the start, the coaches shared a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it quickly became clear that Mourinho had instructed his side to subdue the crowd by slowing the game and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Critical Events and Turning Points

The visitors' tactic produced mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates succeeded to dismantle the backline, they at first struggled to generate clear opportunities.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgian attacker Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after beating the defender on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous shot that required an terrific one-handed save. It's no surprise Pope retains hope for an England return in time for the World Cup.

But when Lukebakio directed a further attempt against the woodwork, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy fired off target, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent near-post save from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last opened the deadlock.

Gordon's blazing pace had caused consternation for Mourinho all evening, and he calmly slotted the first goal past the goalkeeper after his teammate's quick ball into the area paid off.

When Newcastle's intense, high press was not second-guessed by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was available to deliver a low ball across the goal for Gordon to polish off.

Second Half and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their players attacked with real freedom. The winger repeatedly displayed an skill to destabilize Howe's defense, and the Magpies were likely grateful to regroup at half-time.

The opening period concluded with the keeper again rescuing his side by diverting the attacker's left-foot wide of the goal frame, and as the sides emerged for the next period, everything seemed finely poised.

If Gordon, clearly buoyed by scoring his fourth goal in three European appearances this season, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to shift the power balance in his team's direction, Lukebakio had other ideas.

Mourinho's winger had already shown that, while Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a born full-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time he advanced.

Howe might have relaxed had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not directed a set-piece above the bar from a good spot. Instead, this thrilling contest continued to move from end to end, persuading the coach to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, threw on an additional forward in Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a risk too far.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Game

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portugal back Silva, had performed a good job in restricting Woltemade's space and forcing the German centre-forward deep. However, with right-back Amar Dedic substituted, the defense was underpowered, and the way was open for Barnes to prove that Gordon is not the manager's only attacking wide player.

The home side's double substitution was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful throw in the substitute's direction. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the bounce, Barnes was away, accelerating into the penalty box before maintaining impressive composure to lash a superb strike past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes slid a shot through unfortunate Trubin's feet after receiving Gordon's excellent pass, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that Newcastle have several quick wide attackers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had shattered his chances of earning the team's first Champions League points of the campaign.