Barnes Scores Two Goals as Newcastle Defeat Benfica and Mourinho

As the Benfica manager arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, home supporters were concerned about a difficult match. But such worries vanished due to a strike from Anthony Gordon and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring Benfica's new manager would not cause pain for Howe's team.

Game Dynamics and Early Exchanges

The Benfica boss had forecast that the home side would be very physical, but his own team showed their own combative approach. Benfica clearly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's initial attempts to build a fluent attacking tempo.

Compounding the home team's challenges, two midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, started on the bench as they continued convalescing from sickness and a knock each.

Prior to the start, the coaches exchanged a perfunctory, cool embrace, and it soon became apparent that Mourinho had told his side to subdue the crowd by delaying Newcastle and reducing the temperature whenever possible.

Key Events and Turning Points

Benfica's strategy yielded varied outcomes, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to dismantle the backline, they initially found it hard to generate good opportunities.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgian attacker Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after beating the defender behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous shot that got an terrific single-hand stop. It's no surprise the goalkeeper still hopes for an England return in time for the World Cup.

But when Lukebakio directed a further shot off the post, the home side roused themselves. Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive near-post save from Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the scoreless tie.

The England winger's blazing speed had created problems for Mourinho all evening, and he neatly side-footed the opener past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early ball into the box paid off.

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

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now their players pushed forward with real abandon. Lukebakio consistently displayed an skill to unsettle Howe's back four, and the Magpies were probably relieved to reset at half-time.

The first half concluded with the keeper once more rescuing his team by diverting Lukebakio's left-foot wide of the post, and as the teams emerged for the next period, everything seemed finely balanced.

While Anthony Gordon, evidently boosted by netting his fourth goal in three European games this campaign, played with the determination of a winger aiming to shift the power balance in Newcastle's direction, Lukebakio had different ideas.

The manager's No 11 had previously shown that, while Dan Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a born full-back, and home hearts were nervous every time he moved forward.

Howe might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not directed a set-piece over the bar from a good spot. Instead, this absorbing contest continued to swing from one goal to the other, persuading the coach to bring on the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, brought on an additional striker in Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a risk that backfired.

Barnes Seals the Match

Until then, the away team, and especially their Portugal back Silva, had performed a fine job in limiting Woltemade's space and forcing 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 show that Gordon is not the manager's only attacking wide player.

Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope sent a superb throw in the substitute's direction. When Silva, on this occasion, misread the flight, Barnes was clear, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining impressive poise to lash a sublime strike past Trubin.

When Barnes slid a shot through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Anthony Gordon's excellent through ball, it was all over. Mourinho had warned that Newcastle have several very fast wingers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had destroyed his hopes of securing Benfica's first Champions League points of the campaign.