🔗 Share this article

As the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and complimented Eddie Howe and his squad, local fans feared a difficult match. But those worries vanished thanks to a goal from Anthony Gordon and two more from substitute the forward, making sure the visitors' coach would not cause pain for Howe's team.

Game Flow and Initial Action

The Benfica boss had predicted that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his own team showed their similar combative style. The visitors clearly enjoyed breaking up the Magpies' early attempts to establish a fluent passing tempo.

Compounding Newcastle's challenges, two players, Tonali and Joelinton, started on the bench as they were recovering from sickness and injury each.

Prior to the start, the two managers exchanged a brief, cool embrace, and it quickly became clear that the Benfica coach had told his team to subdue the crowd by slowing Newcastle and reducing the temperature at every chance.

Key Moments and Decisive Actions

The visitors' strategy yielded mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to dismantle Benfica's backline, they at first found it hard to generate good chances.

Additionally, the Belgian winger Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful strike that got an excellent single-hand save. It's no surprise Pope retains hope for an national team return in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger hit another attempt against the woodwork, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent close-range stop from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last opened the scoreless tie.

Gordon's scorching speed had caused problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly slotted the opener past Trubin after Murphy's quick ball into the area paid off.

On the occasion Newcastle's hard, high press was not second-guessed by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to pass a ground cross across the goal for Gordon to polish off.

Second Half and Decisive Changes

From the beginning, Benfica could not be blamed of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now their side pushed forward with real abandon. The winger consistently showed an ability to destabilize Newcastle's back four, and the home team were probably relieved to regroup at the break.

The opening period ended with Pope again saving his side by tipping the attacker's shot around the post, and as the sides came out for the second half, the match seemed finely balanced.

If Anthony Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League appearances this campaign, played with the determination of a winger aiming to shift the power balance in Newcastle's favor, Lukebakio had different plans.

Mourinho's No 11 had previously emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a natural full-back, and home hearts were in mouths every time he advanced.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a corner over the bar from a well-placed spot. Instead, this absorbing contest continued to move from one goal to the other, persuading Newcastle's coach to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, at the same time, threw on an additional forward in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a gamble that backfired.

Harvey Barnes Wins the Game

Before that, the away team, and especially their Portugal back Silva, had performed a fine job in limiting Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's German centre-forward deep. But now, with right-back Amar Dedic off, the defense was underpowered, and the way was clear for Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.

Newcastle's double substitution was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper sent a wonderful throw in Barnes's path. When Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the bounce, the winger was away, sprinting into the penalty box before keeping commendable poise to lash a superb strike past Trubin.

When Barnes rolled a shot through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Anthony Gordon's excellent pass, it was all over. Mourinho had warned that the Magpies have several quick wingers, and three goals from two wingers had destroyed his chances of earning the team's first European points of the season.