Barnes Fires Two Goals as The Magpies Defeat Portuguese Side and Mourinho

As the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and complimented Eddie Howe and his players, home fans feared a difficult match. But such worries disappeared due to a strike from Anthony Gordon and a brace from substitute the forward, making sure Benfica's coach would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.

Match Dynamics and Initial Action

The Benfica boss had predicted that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their own combative style. The visitors clearly enjoyed disrupting the Magpies' initial attempts to build a fluent attacking tempo.

Compounding Newcastle's challenges, key players, Tonali and Joelinton, began on the bench as they continued convalescing from sickness and a knock each.

Prior to the start, the two managers shared a brief, cool greeting, and it quickly became clear that the Benfica coach had told his side to subdue the home fans by delaying the game and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Critical Moments and Turning Points

The visitors' strategy produced varied results, but when Gordon and his teammates succeeded to break through Benfica's defensive barricades, they initially struggled to create good chances.

Moreover, the Belgium winger Dodi Lukebakio almost showed scoring skill when, after leaving Dan Burn behind, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful strike that required an terrific one-handed save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team recall in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger hit a further attempt off the woodwork, Newcastle woke up. Murphy shot wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the deadlock.

The England winger's blazing pace had created consternation for Mourinho all night, and he calmly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's early cross into the area paid off.

When the Magpies' hard, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was there to pass a low ball across the goal for Gordon to polish off.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Changes

Right from the start, Benfica could not be accused of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's players attacked with real freedom. The winger consistently displayed an skill to destabilize Howe's back four, and the home team were likely grateful to regroup at half-time.

The first half ended with the keeper once more saving his team by tipping Lukebakio's left-foot wide of the goal frame, and as the teams came out for the second half, everything seemed evenly poised.

If Gordon, evidently boosted by scoring his fourth goal in three Champions League appearances this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger aiming to alter the balance in Newcastle's direction, the Benfica attacker had other plans.

The manager's No 11 had already shown that, while Dan Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a natural full-back, and home fans were nervous every time he moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not directed a corner over the bar from a good spot. Rather, this absorbing contest continued to move from one goal to the other, persuading Newcastle's manager to bring on Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

The Benfica boss, at the same time, brought on an additional forward in Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a gamble too far.

Harvey Barnes Wins the Game

Before that, the away team, and especially their Portugal back Silva, had performed a fine job in restricting Nick Woltemade's space and forcing the German striker back. However, with right-back Dedic off, the defense was underpowered, and the way was clear for Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring wide player.

Newcastle's two changes was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper sent a wonderful throw in the substitute's direction. When Silva, on this occasion, misjudged 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 shot through unfortunate the goalkeeper's legs after meeting Gordon's excellent pass, it was finished. Mourinho had warned that the Magpies have several very fast wingers, and three goals from a pair of wide men had destroyed his chances of securing the team's first European result of the season.