Barnes Fires Twice as Newcastle Overcome Benfica and Jose Mourinho

When the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, home supporters were concerned about a difficult match. However those worries vanished due to a goal from the winger and two more from replacement the forward, ensuring the visitors' new manager would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.

Game Dynamics and Initial Exchanges

Mourinho had forecast that the home side would be very physical, but his own team displayed their similar aggressive style. Benfica certainly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's initial efforts to establish a smooth attacking tempo.

Compounding the home team's challenges, key players, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they continued recovering from illness and injury respectively.

Before kick-off, the two managers shared a perfunctory, reserved embrace, and it soon became clear that Mourinho had told his side to subdue the crowd by delaying the game and lowering the temperature at every chance.

Key Moments and Turning Points

The visitors' tactic produced mixed outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates managed to break through the backline, they at first struggled to generate clear chances.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgian attacker Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving the defender behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous shot that required an terrific one-handed save. No wonder Pope retains hope for an national team return in time for the global tournament.

But when Lukebakio hit a further shot off the post, Newcastle roused themselves. Murphy shot wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the deadlock.

The England winger's scorching pace had created problems for Mourinho all evening, and he calmly side-footed the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's quick cross into the box paid off.

On the occasion the Magpies' hard, pressing game was not second-guessed by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was there to deliver a ground cross across the face of goal for Gordon to finish.

Second Half and Match-Winning Changes

Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now their side pushed forward with total freedom. The winger repeatedly displayed an ability to unsettle Newcastle's defense, and the home team were probably relieved to reset at half-time.

The first half concluded with Pope again saving his team by tipping the attacker's shot around the goal frame, and as the sides emerged for the next period, the match seemed evenly poised.

While Gordon, evidently boosted by scoring his fourth strike in three European games this campaign, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to shift the power balance in his team's favor, Lukebakio had different plans.

The manager's No 11 had already shown that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born left-back, and home hearts were nervous every time he advanced.

Howe might have relaxed had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece above the bar from a well-placed spot. Rather, this absorbing contest continued to move from end to end, prompting the manager to bring on Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, threw on an extra striker in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk that backfired.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Game

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portuguese defender Silva, had done a fine job in restricting Nick Woltemade's space and forcing Newcastle's German striker back. But now, with defender Amar Dedic off, the defense was weakened, and the path was open for Harvey Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking winger.

The home side's two changes was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper sent a wonderful long throw in Barnes's direction. When Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the flight, the winger was away, accelerating into the area before maintaining impressive poise to lash a superb shot past the keeper.

After Barnes rolled a shot through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Anthony Gordon's stellar pass, it was all over. The Benfica manager had warned that the Magpies have four quick wingers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wide men had shattered his chances of earning Benfica's first Champions League points of the campaign.