🔗 Share this article

When Jose Mourinho arrived at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his squad, home supporters feared a difficult match. However such fears vanished thanks to a strike from Anthony Gordon and two more from replacement the forward, ensuring the visitors' coach would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.

Game Dynamics and Early Action

The Benfica boss had forecast that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players showed their own aggressive style. The visitors certainly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's initial efforts to establish a smooth passing rhythm.

Compounding Newcastle's challenges, key midfielders, Tonali and the Brazilian, started as substitutes as they continued convalescing from illness and a knock respectively.

Prior to the start, the two managers exchanged a perfunctory, reserved embrace, and it quickly became clear that the Benfica coach had told his team to subdue the home fans by slowing Newcastle and lowering the temperature at every chance.

Critical Moments and Decisive Actions

Benfica's strategy yielded varied outcomes, but when Gordon and his teammates succeeded to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to generate clear chances.

Moreover, the Belgian attacker Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated scoring skill when, after beating the defender on the ground, he tested Nick Pope with a tremendous strike that got an terrific single-hand save. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an England return in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger hit another attempt against the post, the home side woke up. Murphy shot wide, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent near-post save from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

The England winger's scorching pace had created consternation for the Benfica coach all night, and he calmly side-footed the opener past Trubin after Murphy's quick cross into the area proved effective.

On the occasion Newcastle's hard, high press was not second-guessed by Benfica, Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was there to pass a ground ball across the face of goal for Gordon to finish.

Second Half and Decisive Changes

Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's side pushed forward with real abandon. The winger repeatedly showed an skill to destabilize Howe's back four, and the Magpies were likely grateful to reset at half-time.

The opening period concluded with Pope once more saving his team by tipping Lukebakio's left-foot wide of the goal frame, and as the sides emerged for the next period, everything seemed evenly poised.

While Anthony Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth strike in three European games this season, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to alter the power balance in Newcastle's direction, Lukebakio had other plans.

Mourinho's No 11 had previously emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a born left-back, and home hearts were nervous every time he moved forward.

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

Mourinho, meanwhile, threw on an additional striker in Franjo Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a gamble that backfired.

Barnes Wins the Game

Before that, the away team, and especially their Portuguese back Silva, had done a good job in limiting Nick Woltemade's room and pushing the German striker deep. But now, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the defense was underpowered, and the path was open for Harvey Barnes to prove that Gordon is not Howe's only attacking wide player.

Newcastle's two changes was already proving effective by the time Pope sent a wonderful long throw in Barnes's direction. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the bounce, Barnes was away, sprinting into the area before maintaining impressive poise to fire a superb shot past the keeper.

After Harvey Barnes slid a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's feet after receiving Anthony Gordon's stellar through ball, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that Newcastle have several quick wingers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wide men had shattered his chances of earning Benfica's first Champions League points of the season.