Barnes Fires Two Goals as The Magpies Overcome Portuguese Side and Jose Mourinho

As Jose Mourinho arrived at Newcastle's stadium and complimented Eddie Howe and his squad, home fans feared a difficult match. However such fears vanished due to a goal from the winger and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring the visitors' coach did not inflict pain for Howe's team.

Match Flow and Early Exchanges

The Benfica boss had forecast that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their own aggressive approach. The visitors certainly enjoyed disrupting the Magpies' early attempts to build a fluent attacking rhythm.

Adding to the home team's issues, key midfielders, Tonali and the Brazilian, began as substitutes as they were recovering from sickness and a knock respectively.

Prior to the start, the two managers exchanged a brief, reserved greeting, and it quickly became clear that the Benfica coach had instructed his team to quiet the home fans by slowing Newcastle and reducing the temperature whenever possible.

Critical Moments and Decisive Actions

Benfica's tactic yielded varied results, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle Benfica's backline, they initially struggled to create good opportunities.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgium winger Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving the defender on the ground, he tested Nick Pope with a tremendous shot that required an terrific single-hand stop. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an England return in time for the World Cup.

But when Lukebakio hit a further attempt against the woodwork, Newcastle woke up. Murphy fired off target, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon at last broke the scoreless tie.

Gordon's blazing speed had caused problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he calmly side-footed the opener past the goalkeeper after Murphy's quick cross into the area proved effective.

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

Second Half and Match-Winning Substitutions

From the beginning, Benfica could not be accused of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's side pushed forward with total freedom. Lukebakio consistently showed an skill to unsettle Howe's defense, and the home team were probably relieved to reset at half-time.

The opening period ended with Pope again rescuing his side by tipping the attacker's shot wide of the goal frame, and as the sides came out for the second half, the match seemed finely poised.

If Anthony Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth goal in three Champions League games this campaign, played with the determination of a wide player set to shift the balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had different plans.

The manager's No 11 had previously emphasized that, while Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a born left-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio moved forward.

Howe might have relaxed had Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner over the bar from a good position. Rather, this absorbing game continued to move from one goal to the other, persuading the manager to bring on Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, brought on an additional forward in Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a gamble that backfired.

Barnes Seals the Match

Before that, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese back Silva, had performed a fine job in limiting Woltemade's space and pushing the German centre-forward deep. However, with right-back Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the way was open for Barnes to show that Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring wide player.

Newcastle's double substitution was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a superb long throw in Barnes's direction. When Antonio Silva, for once, misread the flight, the winger was away, accelerating into the area before maintaining commendable composure to lash a superb shot past the keeper.

After Barnes slid a shot through poor the goalkeeper's feet after receiving Anthony Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. Mourinho had cautioned that Newcastle have several quick wide attackers, and three goals from two wingers had destroyed his chances of securing the team's first Champions League points of the campaign.