Harvey Barnes Scores Two Goals as The Magpies Defeat Portuguese Side and Jose Mourinho
As Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, local fans were concerned about a difficult game. But those worries disappeared due to a strike from the winger and two more from replacement the forward, ensuring Benfica's coach did not inflict any trouble for Howe's team.
Game Dynamics and Early Action
Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their own combative style. Benfica certainly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's early efforts to build a smooth passing tempo.
Compounding the home team's issues, key midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, began as substitutes as they continued recovering from illness and a knock respectively.
Prior to kick-off, the two managers shared a brief, reserved embrace, and it quickly became apparent that Mourinho had told his side to quiet the crowd by slowing the game and lowering the temperature whenever possible.
Critical Events and Decisive Actions
Benfica's strategy yielded varied results, but when Gordon and his teammates succeeded to break through Benfica's backline, they initially struggled to generate clear chances.
Moreover, the Belgian attacker Lukebakio almost demonstrated scoring skill when, after leaving the defender behind, he tested Nick Pope with a tremendous strike that got an excellent one-handed save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team recall in time for the World Cup.
But when Lukebakio directed another attempt against the post, the home side woke up. Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent near-post save from Guimaraes before Gordon at last opened the deadlock.
The England winger's scorching pace had caused consternation for the Benfica coach all night, and he calmly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's quick cross into the box paid off.
On the occasion the Magpies' hard, pressing game was not anticipated by Benfica, Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was there to pass a ground cross across the face of goal for Gordon to finish.
Second Half and Match-Winning Changes
Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's players attacked with total abandon. Lukebakio consistently showed an ability to destabilize Howe's back four, and the Magpies were probably relieved to reset at half-time.
The opening period concluded with Pope once more saving his side by tipping Lukebakio's shot around the goal frame, and as the sides emerged for the second half, the match seemed evenly balanced.
While Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth strike in three European games this campaign, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to alter the power balance in Newcastle's direction, the Benfica attacker had different ideas.
Mourinho's No 11 had previously shown that, while Dan Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a born full-back, and home fans were in mouths every time he moved forward.
Howe might have relaxed had Miley, filling in for Tonali, not headed a set-piece over the crossbar from a good position. Instead, this thrilling contest continued to swing from end to end, persuading Newcastle's coach to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.
Mourinho, at the same time, brought on an additional forward in Franjo Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a gamble that backfired.
Barnes Wins the Match
Before that, the away team, and especially their Portugal defender Silva, had done a fine job in limiting Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's German centre-forward back. However, with right-back Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the path was clear for Harvey Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.
Newcastle's double substitution was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper sent a wonderful long throw in Barnes's path. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the flight, Barnes was away, accelerating into the area before maintaining impressive composure to fire a sublime strike past the keeper.
After Barnes rolled a shot through poor Trubin's legs after meeting Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. The Benfica manager had cautioned that the Magpies have four quick wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had destroyed his chances of securing the team's first European points of the season.
