🔗 Share this article

As the Benfica manager came at St James' Park and complimented Eddie Howe and his squad, local fans were concerned about a difficult match. However those fears disappeared due to a strike from the winger and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring Benfica's coach did not inflict pain for Newcastle.

Game Dynamics and Initial Action

Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their similar combative approach. The visitors certainly enjoyed breaking up Newcastle's initial efforts to build a smooth passing tempo.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, key midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, started on the bench as they were recovering from sickness and injury each.

Prior to kick-off, the two managers shared a brief, cool greeting, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his team to subdue the crowd by slowing Newcastle and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Critical Events and Decisive Actions

The visitors' strategy produced mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates succeeded to dismantle Benfica's backline, they at first struggled to generate clear chances.

Moreover, the Belgium winger Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating the defender behind, he forced Nick Pope with a powerful shot that got an terrific one-handed save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team return in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger hit another attempt against the woodwork, the home side woke up. Murphy fired off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent near-post save from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last opened the scoreless tie.

Gordon's scorching speed had caused consternation for Mourinho all night, and he calmly slotted the opener past Trubin after Murphy's quick ball into the box paid off.

On the occasion the Magpies' hard, pressing game was not second-guessed by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to deliver a ground ball across the face of goal for Gordon to finish.

Later Stages and Decisive Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's players pushed forward with real abandon. The winger consistently displayed an skill to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the home team were probably relieved to regroup at the break.

The opening period concluded with the keeper once more saving his team by diverting Lukebakio's shot around the post, and as the teams came out for the second half, everything seemed finely balanced.

While Gordon, clearly buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this season, played with the zeal of a wide player aiming to alter the balance in Newcastle's direction, the Benfica attacker had other ideas.

The manager's winger had already shown that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a natural left-back, and home fans were in mouths every time he advanced.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece over the crossbar from a good spot. Rather, this thrilling game continued to move from end to end, persuading the coach to bring on the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, at the same time, threw on an additional striker in Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a risk too far.

Barnes Seals the Game

Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had done a fine job in restricting Woltemade's room and pushing the German striker back. However, with right-back Amar Dedic off, the defense was weakened, and the path was clear for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking winger.

The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope sent a wonderful long throw in the substitute's direction. When Silva, for once, misread the flight, the winger was clear, accelerating into the area before keeping commendable composure to fire a sublime shot past the keeper.

After Barnes rolled a shot through poor Trubin's legs after receiving Anthony Gordon's stellar through ball, it was finished. The Benfica manager had cautioned that the Magpies have four very fast wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had shattered his chances of earning the team's first European result of the season.