Barnes Scores Two Goals as The Magpies Defeat Portuguese Side and Jose Mourinho

As the Benfica manager came at St James' Park and complimented Newcastle's coach and his players, local supporters feared a tough game. However those fears vanished due to a strike from Anthony Gordon and two more from replacement Harvey Barnes, making sure Benfica's coach would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.

Game Flow and Early Exchanges

The Benfica boss had predicted that Newcastle would be very physical, but his Benfica players displayed their own aggressive style. The visitors certainly delighted in breaking up Newcastle's initial attempts to build a fluent passing tempo.

Compounding the home team's challenges, two players, Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they continued convalescing from sickness and a knock respectively.

Before kick-off, the coaches exchanged a brief, cool greeting, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his team to quiet the crowd by delaying the game and reducing the temperature at every chance.

Key Moments and Turning Points

The visitors' tactic yielded mixed results, but when Gordon and his teammates succeeded to dismantle Benfica's backline, they initially struggled to generate clear opportunities.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgian attacker Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving the defender behind, he forced Nick Pope with a tremendous shot that required an terrific one-handed save. No wonder Pope still hopes for an England return in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger directed another shot off the woodwork, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy fired off target, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent close-range stop from Guimaraes before Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching speed had caused problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly slotted the first goal past Trubin after his teammate's quick cross into the box paid off.

On the occasion the Magpies' hard, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to pass a low ball across the face of goal for the winger to finish.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's players pushed forward with real abandon. Lukebakio consistently displayed an skill to unsettle Howe's back four, and the Magpies were probably relieved to regroup at half-time.

The opening period ended with Pope again rescuing his side by tipping Lukebakio's left-foot wide of the goal frame, and as the teams emerged for the next period, the match seemed finely poised.

While Anthony Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth goal in three European appearances this campaign, played with the determination of a winger aiming to shift the balance in Newcastle's direction, Lukebakio had different ideas.

Mourinho's winger had already emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a natural left-back, and Newcastle fans were nervous every time Lukebakio advanced.

Howe might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece over the bar from a well-placed spot. Instead, this thrilling game continued to swing from end to end, prompting the manager to bring on Joelinton and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

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

Barnes Wins the Game

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portugal defender Silva, had performed a good job in restricting Nick Woltemade's space and forcing the German centre-forward deep. But now, with right-back Amar Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the path was clear for Barnes to prove that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.

The home side's two changes was already proving effective by the time Pope dispatched a superb long throw in Barnes's path. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the bounce, Barnes was clear, accelerating into the area before maintaining commendable poise to fire a sublime strike past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes slid a low effort through poor Trubin's legs after receiving Anthony 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 shattered his chances of securing Benfica's first European result of the campaign.