Barnes Fires Twice as Newcastle Defeat Benfica and Jose Mourinho
When the Benfica manager came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, local supporters were concerned about a difficult match. However such worries vanished thanks to a strike from the winger and a brace from substitute Harvey Barnes, making sure Benfica's coach did not inflict pain for Newcastle.
Match Flow and Early Action
Mourinho had predicted that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his own team showed their similar combative approach. The visitors clearly delighted in breaking up the Magpies' early efforts to build a fluent attacking rhythm.
Compounding the home team's issues, two midfielders, Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they were recovering from illness and a knock each.
Before the start, the two managers exchanged a brief, cool greeting, and it quickly became clear that the Benfica coach had told his side to subdue the crowd by slowing Newcastle and lowering the temperature whenever possible.
Key Events and Decisive Actions
Benfica's tactic yielded varied outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates managed to break through Benfica's defensive barricades, they initially struggled to create clear opportunities.
Additionally, the Belgium winger Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after leaving the defender behind, he tested Nick Pope with a tremendous strike that required an excellent one-handed save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team recall in time for the global tournament.
Yet when Lukebakio hit another attempt against the post, the home side roused themselves. Jacob Murphy fired off target, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent near-post stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally opened the scoreless tie.
The England winger's scorching pace had caused problems for the Benfica coach all evening, and he neatly side-footed the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's early cross into the box paid off.
On the occasion the Magpies' intense, pressing game was not second-guessed by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was available to deliver a low cross across the goal for the winger to finish.
Second Half and Match-Winning Changes
Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's players pushed forward with real abandon. The winger consistently displayed an ability to destabilize Howe's defense, and the home team were likely relieved to reset at half-time.
The opening period ended with the keeper once more rescuing his side by tipping the attacker's shot wide of the post, and as the sides came out for the second half, the match seemed evenly balanced.
While Anthony Gordon, evidently boosted by scoring his fourth goal in three European appearances this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger aiming to alter the power balance in Newcastle's favor, Lukebakio had different ideas.
The manager's winger had previously emphasized that, while Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a born left-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio moved forward.
Howe might have felt easier had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner above the bar from a well-placed position. Rather, this absorbing contest continued to swing from one goal to the other, prompting Newcastle's manager to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.
The Benfica boss, meanwhile, brought on an extra forward in Franjo Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a gamble too far.
Harvey Barnes Seals the Game
Before that, Benfica, and in particular their Portugal defender Silva, had performed a fine job in limiting Woltemade's room and forcing the Germany striker deep. However, with defender Amar Dedic off, the defense was weakened, and the path was clear for Barnes to show that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.
The home side's double substitution was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper sent a superb throw in Barnes's direction. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the flight, the winger was away, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining commendable poise to lash a superb shot past Trubin.
After Harvey Barnes rolled a low effort through unfortunate Trubin's feet after meeting Gordon's stellar through ball, it was all over. The Benfica manager had warned that Newcastle have several very fast wide attackers, and three goals from two wingers had shattered his hopes of earning the team's first European result of the campaign.
