🔗 Share this article

As Jose Mourinho came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his players, home supporters were concerned about a difficult game. However those worries disappeared thanks to a goal from the winger and two more from replacement the forward, ensuring Benfica's new manager did not inflict pain for Newcastle.

Match Flow and Early Action

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

Compounding the home team's challenges, key players, Tonali and Joelinton, began on the bench as they continued recovering from illness and a knock respectively.

Prior to kick-off, the coaches exchanged a brief, reserved embrace, and it soon became clear that Mourinho had instructed his team to subdue the crowd by delaying Newcastle and lowering the intensity at every chance.

Key Moments and Turning Points

Benfica's tactic yielded mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates succeeded to break through the defensive barricades, they at first struggled to create good opportunities.

Additionally, the Belgium attacker Lukebakio nearly showed scoring skill when, after beating Dan Burn behind, he tested Nick Pope with a powerful strike that required an excellent single-hand save. No wonder the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team recall in time for the World Cup.

But when Lukebakio directed a further attempt against the woodwork, Newcastle roused themselves. Jacob Murphy shot off target, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive close-range save from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally opened the deadlock.

The England winger's blazing pace had caused consternation for the Benfica coach all night, and he calmly slotted the first goal past Trubin after his teammate's early cross into the area proved effective.

When the Magpies' hard, high press was not anticipated by Benfica, Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was available to deliver a ground ball across the goal for Gordon to polish off.

Second Half and Match-Winning Changes

From the beginning, Benfica could not be blamed of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's side pushed forward with total abandon. The winger repeatedly displayed an skill to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the home team were probably relieved to regroup at the break.

The first half ended with the keeper once more saving his team by tipping the attacker's shot around the post, and as the sides emerged for the second half, everything seemed evenly poised.

If Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth strike in three European games this season, played with the zeal of a wide player aiming to alter the power balance in Newcastle's favor, the Benfica attacker had other plans.

Mourinho's No 11 had already shown that, while Dan Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a natural left-back, and Newcastle hearts were nervous every time he moved forward.

Howe might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a set-piece over the bar from a well-placed spot. Rather, this thrilling contest continued to swing from end to end, prompting the coach to introduce the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

The Benfica boss, at the same time, threw on an additional forward in Franjo Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a risk that backfired.

Barnes Wins the Match

Before that, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese defender Antonio Silva, had performed a fine job in restricting Woltemade's space and forcing Newcastle's German centre-forward deep. However, with right-back Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the path was open for Barnes to prove 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 throw in Barnes's direction. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the flight, Barnes was away, accelerating into the area before keeping commendable poise to fire a sublime shot past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes slid a shot through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's excellent through ball, it was all over. The Benfica manager had warned that the Magpies have four very fast wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wide men had destroyed his chances of earning the team's first European points of the campaign.