Harvey Barnes Scores Two Goals as Newcastle Overcome Benfica and Jose Mourinho

As Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and praised Eddie Howe and his players, home supporters were concerned about a difficult match. But such fears 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 Howe's team.

Game Flow and Early Action

The Benfica boss had predicted that the home side would be very physical, but his own team displayed their similar combative style. The visitors clearly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's initial efforts to establish a fluent attacking tempo.

Adding to Newcastle's issues, key midfielders, Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they were recovering from illness and injury respectively.

Before kick-off, the two managers exchanged a brief, reserved greeting, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his side to subdue the home fans by slowing Newcastle and reducing the temperature whenever possible.

Key Events and Turning Points

Benfica's strategy yielded varied outcomes, but when Gordon and his teammates succeeded to break through the defensive barricades, they at first struggled to generate good opportunities.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgium attacker Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after beating Dan Burn behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful strike that got an excellent single-hand save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team return in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger directed another attempt off the woodwork, Newcastle roused themselves. Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally opened the scoreless tie.

Gordon's blazing speed had caused consternation for the Benfica coach all evening, and he neatly side-footed the opener past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early cross into the area proved effective.

When Newcastle's intense, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was there to deliver a ground ball across the face of goal for the winger to polish off.

Second Half and Match-Winning Changes

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their players pushed forward with real abandon. Lukebakio repeatedly displayed an ability to destabilize Howe's back four, and the home team were probably relieved to reset at half-time.

The opening period concluded with the keeper again rescuing his team by diverting the attacker's shot around the goal frame, and as the teams emerged for the next period, everything seemed evenly balanced.

If Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth strike in three European games this season, played with the zeal of a winger set to alter the balance in his team's favor, the Benfica attacker had different plans.

The manager's No 11 had already emphasized that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a natural full-back, and Newcastle hearts were in mouths every time he advanced.

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

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

Barnes Seals the Match

Until then, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese defender Antonio Silva, had performed a good job in limiting Woltemade's space and forcing the Germany striker deep. However, with right-back Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the way was clear for Harvey Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.

Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope sent a superb throw in the substitute's direction. When Silva, for once, misread the bounce, Barnes was away, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining impressive poise to fire a superb strike past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes rolled a low effort through unfortunate Trubin's legs after receiving Gordon's stellar through ball, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that the Magpies have several very fast wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had shattered his chances of securing the team's first European points of the season.