🔗 Share this article

When the Benfica manager arrived at Newcastle's stadium and complimented Newcastle's coach and his squad, local fans were concerned about a difficult game. However such worries disappeared due to a goal from Anthony Gordon and two more from substitute the forward, making sure the visitors' coach did not inflict any trouble for Howe's team.

Game Flow and Early Action

Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players showed their own aggressive style. Benfica certainly enjoyed disrupting the Magpies' early attempts to establish a fluent attacking tempo.

Adding to the home team's issues, two midfielders, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, began on the bench as they continued convalescing from sickness and a knock respectively.

Prior to kick-off, the two managers exchanged a brief, reserved greeting, and it quickly became clear that the Benfica coach had instructed his side to subdue the home fans by slowing the game and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Critical Events and Decisive Actions

Benfica's strategy yielded varied outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to break through Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first struggled to generate good chances.

Moreover, the Belgium winger Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn on the ground, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that got an terrific single-hand save. No wonder Pope still hopes for an England return in time for the global tournament.

But when Lukebakio hit a further shot off the woodwork, the home side woke up. Murphy shot off target, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive close-range save from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last opened the deadlock.

The England winger's scorching pace had created consternation for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly slotted the opener past Trubin after his teammate's early ball into the area paid off.

When Newcastle's hard, high press was not anticipated by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to pass a low ball across the face of goal for the winger to polish off.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Changes

From the beginning, Benfica could not be blamed of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now their players pushed forward with total freedom. Lukebakio consistently displayed an ability to destabilize Howe's defense, and the Magpies were probably relieved to regroup at the break.

The opening period concluded with Pope again saving his side by diverting Lukebakio's left-foot wide of the goal frame, and as the teams came out for the second half, everything seemed evenly balanced.

While Anthony Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three European games this season, played with the determination of a wide player set to shift the power balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had different plans.

Mourinho's winger had already shown that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born left-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time he moved forward.

Howe might have felt easier had Miley, filling in for Tonali, not headed a corner above the crossbar from a good position. Rather, this absorbing contest continued to swing from one goal to the other, prompting the manager to introduce the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, at the same time, brought on an additional striker in Franjo Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a risk too far.

Barnes Seals the Match

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portugal defender Silva, had done a good job in limiting Nick Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's German striker back. However, with right-back Dedic substituted, the backline was weakened, and the way was open for Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.

The home side's double substitution was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper sent a superb long throw in Barnes's path. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the flight, the winger was away, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining impressive composure to lash a sublime strike past Trubin.

After Barnes rolled a shot through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's excellent pass, it was all over. The Benfica manager had cautioned that Newcastle have four very fast wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had destroyed his hopes of securing Benfica's first European points of the season.