🔗 Share this article

As the Benfica manager arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his players, local supporters feared a difficult game. However such fears vanished thanks to a strike from Anthony Gordon and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring the visitors' coach did not inflict any trouble for Newcastle.

Game Flow and Early Exchanges

The Benfica boss had forecast that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their similar combative style. Benfica clearly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's initial attempts to establish a fluent passing tempo.

Compounding the home team's issues, two players, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, started as substitutes as they were recovering from sickness and injury respectively.

Before the start, the coaches shared a perfunctory, cool embrace, and it quickly became clear that Mourinho had told his side to quiet the crowd by slowing Newcastle and lowering the temperature whenever possible.

Key Events and Turning Points

Benfica's strategy produced varied outcomes, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to dismantle the backline, they at first struggled to generate good opportunities.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgium attacker Lukebakio nearly demonstrated scoring skill when, after beating Dan Burn on the ground, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous shot that required an excellent single-hand stop. No wonder the goalkeeper retains hope for an England recall in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger hit a further shot against the post, the home side woke up. Murphy shot wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon at last 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 quick cross into the box paid off.

When Newcastle's intense, high press was not second-guessed by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was available to pass a low ball across the face of goal for Gordon to finish.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's side pushed forward with real abandon. Lukebakio repeatedly showed an skill to destabilize Newcastle's back four, 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 Lukebakio's left-foot around the goal frame, and as the sides came out for the second half, the match seemed evenly balanced.

While Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three European appearances this campaign, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to alter the balance in Newcastle's direction, the Benfica attacker had other ideas.

The manager's No 11 had already shown that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a natural left-back, and Newcastle hearts were in mouths every time he moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a set-piece over the crossbar from a good spot. Rather, this thrilling game continued to move from end to end, prompting Newcastle's coach to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, brought on an extra forward in Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a gamble too far.

Barnes Wins the Match

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portugal back Antonio Silva, had performed a fine job in limiting Woltemade's room and pushing the German centre-forward deep. However, with right-back Amar Dedic off, the backline was weakened, and the path was open for Harvey Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.

The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful throw in the substitute's path. When Silva, on this occasion, misread the flight, the winger was away, accelerating into the area before keeping impressive composure to fire a sublime shot past Trubin.

After Harvey Barnes slid a shot through poor the goalkeeper's legs after receiving Gordon's excellent through ball, it was all over. The Benfica manager had cautioned that Newcastle have four very fast wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had destroyed his chances of securing Benfica's first Champions League points of the season.