Barnes Fires Twice as Newcastle Overcome Benfica and Mourinho

When the Benfica manager arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his players, local fans were concerned about a difficult match. But those fears disappeared thanks to a strike from the winger and two more from substitute Harvey Barnes, making sure Benfica's coach would not cause any trouble for Howe's team.

Game Dynamics and Initial Action

The Benfica boss had predicted that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their similar aggressive approach. Benfica certainly enjoyed breaking up Newcastle's initial attempts to build a fluent attacking tempo.

Compounding Newcastle's issues, key players, Tonali and Joelinton, began on the bench as they were recovering from sickness and a knock respectively.

Prior to kick-off, the two managers shared a brief, reserved embrace, and it quickly became clear that Mourinho had told his side to subdue the crowd by delaying the game and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Critical Moments and Decisive Actions

Benfica's strategy produced varied outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to break through Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first struggled to generate good chances.

Additionally, the Belgium attacker Lukebakio nearly showed how to finish when, after leaving the defender behind, he tested Nick Pope with a powerful shot that required an terrific one-handed stop. It's no surprise Pope retains hope for an England recall in time for the global tournament.

Yet when Lukebakio directed another shot off the post, Newcastle roused themselves. Murphy fired off target, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive close-range save from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

The England winger's blazing pace had created problems for Mourinho all evening, and he calmly side-footed the opener past Trubin after his teammate's quick ball into the box proved effective.

On the occasion the Magpies' intense, high press was not anticipated by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to pass a ground ball across the goal for Gordon to finish.

Second Half and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be accused of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now their side pushed forward with real freedom. Lukebakio repeatedly displayed an ability to unsettle Howe's back four, and the Magpies were likely relieved to reset at the break.

The opening period concluded with Pope again rescuing his team by diverting Lukebakio's left-foot wide of the post, and as the teams emerged for the next period, the match seemed finely poised.

If Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League games this campaign, played with the determination of a wide player set to shift the power balance in Newcastle's favor, Lukebakio had different ideas.

The manager's winger had previously emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a born full-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio advanced.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner above the bar from a good spot. Instead, this absorbing game continued to move from one goal to the other, prompting the coach to bring on the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, threw on an additional striker in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk too far.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Game

Before that, the away team, and especially their Portuguese back Silva, had done a good job in restricting Nick Woltemade's space and forcing the Germany centre-forward back. However, with defender Dedic off, the backline was weakened, and the way was open for Harvey Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking wide player.

The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a superb long throw in the substitute's direction. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the flight, Barnes was clear, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining impressive composure to fire a sublime strike past the keeper.

After Barnes rolled a low effort through poor Trubin's feet after meeting Anthony Gordon's excellent pass, it was finished. Mourinho had warned that Newcastle have four quick wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had destroyed his chances of securing the team's first Champions League result of the campaign.