🔗 Share this article

As the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and complimented Eddie Howe and his squad, local supporters feared a tough match. But such worries disappeared thanks to a strike from Anthony Gordon and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring the visitors' new manager would not cause pain for Newcastle.

Match Flow and Initial Exchanges

The Benfica boss had predicted that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players showed their similar aggressive approach. Benfica clearly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's early efforts to establish a fluent passing rhythm.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, key midfielders, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, started on the bench as they continued recovering from illness and a knock each.

Prior to kick-off, the two managers shared a perfunctory, reserved embrace, and it quickly became apparent that Mourinho had instructed his side to quiet the home fans by slowing the game and lowering the intensity at every chance.

Key Moments and Turning Points

The visitors' tactic yielded varied results, but when Gordon and his teammates managed to dismantle the defensive barricades, they initially struggled to generate clear opportunities.

Moreover, the Belgium winger Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving the defender behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous strike that got an terrific single-hand stop. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an England recall in time for the global tournament.

Yet when the winger hit a further shot against the post, Newcastle woke up. Murphy shot wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range save from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally opened the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching pace had caused problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he calmly side-footed the first goal past the goalkeeper after his teammate's early ball into the box paid off.

When Newcastle's hard, high press was not second-guessed by the opposition, Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to deliver a ground cross across the goal for Gordon to polish off.

Second Half and Match-Winning Substitutions

From the beginning, Benfica could not be blamed of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now their players attacked with total abandon. Lukebakio repeatedly showed an skill to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the Magpies were probably relieved to regroup at the break.

The opening period ended with the keeper again saving his team by tipping the attacker's shot around the goal frame, and as the sides came out for the next period, the match seemed evenly balanced.

While Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this season, played with the zeal of a wide player set to shift the power balance in Newcastle's favor, Lukebakio had different ideas.

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

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not directed a corner over the crossbar from a well-placed spot. Instead, this thrilling game continued to swing from end to end, prompting the manager to introduce Joelinton and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

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

Barnes Seals the Game

Until then, the away team, and especially their Portugal defender Silva, had done a good job in limiting Nick Woltemade's room and pushing Newcastle's German striker deep. But now, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was weakened, and the way was clear for Barnes to show that Gordon is not Howe's only attacking winger.

Newcastle's double substitution was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a wonderful long throw in the substitute's direction. When Silva, for once, misread the flight, Barnes was clear, accelerating into the area before keeping impressive poise to fire a superb shot past Trubin.

When Harvey Barnes rolled a low effort through poor Trubin's feet after meeting Gordon's stellar pass, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that the Magpies have several quick wide attackers, and three goals from a pair of wide men had destroyed his chances of securing the team's first Champions League points of the season.