Barnes Buries Benfica To Keep Newcastle Purring And Pile Pain On Mourinho

When José Mourinho arrived connected Tyneside and instantly ­showered Eddie Howe and his players pinch ­lavish praise, Newcastle fans feared nan worst. Although specified worries yet evaporated, it took a good extremity from Anthony Gordon and 2 much from nan substitute Harvey Barnes to reassure St James’ Park that Benfica’s new(ish) head would not beryllium inflicting immoderate symptom connected Howe’s team.

If Mourinho’s side, and their ­Belgium winger Dodi Lukébako especially, should stay unbowed by their publication to an ­initially intriguing, highly compelling ­Champions League duel, Benfica’s hopes of reaching nan knockout stages look almost successful tatters.

Mourinho had predicted that Howe’s squad would beryllium “very, very physical” but his Benfica ­players possessed a spot of an fierce separator themselves. The visitors ­certainly delighted successful attempting to disrupt Newcastle’s early attempts to ­establish a fluent passing rhythm.

It did not thief nan location origin that 2 of Howe’s cardinal ­midfielders, ­Sandro Tonali and ­Joelinton, began on nan chair arsenic they continued their convalescence from unwellness and wounded respectively.

The 2 managers had exchanged a somewhat perfunctory, alternatively cool, clasp earlier kick-off and it quickly became clear Mourinho had instructed his broadside to subdue nan St James’ Park crowd by slowing ­Newcastle down and lowering nan somesthesia astatine each opportunity.

This strategy produced mixed results but, erstwhile Gordon and co succeeded successful dismantling ­Benfica’s barricades, they initially astatine slightest struggled to create overmuch much than half chances.

Moreover, Lukébakio very astir showed his hosts really to ­finish when, having deposited Dan Burn connected his backside, he tested Nick Pope pinch a tremendous changeable that was met pinch an arsenic terrific one-handed save. No wonderment Howe’s goalkeeper retains dream of an England callback successful clip to make Thomas Tuchel’s squad for adjacent summer’s World Cup.

Yet erstwhile Lukébakio directed different changeable against a post, ­Newcastle roused themselves. Jacob Murphy changeable wide and Anatoliy ­Trubin made an ­impressive close-range prevention from Bruno Guimarães earlier Gordon yet collapsed nan deadlock.

Nick Pope is beaten by a changeable from Benfica’s Dodi Lukébakio hits a post. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters

The England winger’s scorching gait had caused Mourinho method area consternation each nighttime and now he sidefooted that opener beyond Trubin aft Murphy’s ­ability to present an early shot into nan container had erstwhile again paid dividends.

When, for once, Newcastle’s hard, precocious property was not second-guessed by Benfica, Murphy, preferred to nan £55m Anthony Elanga successful nan location starting XI, was location to walk debased crossed nan look of extremity for Gordon to polish off.

Right from nan start, nary 1 could person accused Benfica of ­coming to parkland immoderate benignant of autobus and play for a tie but now ­Mourinho’s ­players attacked pinch existent abandon. Lukébakio ­displayed a repeated ­ability to destabilise Howe’s backmost 4 and Newcastle were astir apt grateful to regroup astatine half-time.The opening half had ended pinch Pope erstwhile again rescuing his broadside aft tipping Lukébakio’s left-foot changeable astir a station and, arsenic nan teams emerged for nan 2nd period, ­everything seemed finely poised.

If Gordon, morale evidently buoyed by scoring his 4th extremity successful 3 Champions League ­appearances this season, played pinch nan zeal of a winger wished to change that powerfulness equilibrium firmly successful Newcastle’s favour, Lukébakio had different ideas.

Mourinho’s No 11 had already emphasised that, while Burn is simply a good cardinal defender, he is not a earthy left-back and location hearts were successful mouths each clip Lukébakio advanced.

Howe mightiness person relaxed a ­little had Lewis Miley, deputising for Tonali, not headed a area complete nan crossbar erstwhile good placed. Instead this astir absorbing of games continued to plaything from extremity to extremity successful a mode that persuaded Newcastle’s head to present Joelinton and Harvey Barnes successful spot of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, meantime threw connected an other striker successful Franjo Ivanovic. It would arguably beryllium a consequence excessively far.

Until past Benfica, and their ­Portugal defender Antonio Silva successful particular, had done a good occupation successful restricting Nick Woltemade’s room for manoeuvre and forcing ­Newcastle’s Germany centre-­forward deep. Now though nan right-back Amar Dedic was off, nan defence underpowered and nan way was clear for Barnes to beryllium that ­Gordon is not Howe’s only goal-scoring winger.

The Newcastle manager’s ­double substitution was already paying disconnected by nan clip Pope dispatched a ­wonderful propulsion successful Barnes’s ­direction. When Silva, for once, ­misread nan bounce, Barnes was distant accelerating into nan area earlier maintaining ­commendable poise to lash a sublime changeable beyond Trubin.

When Barnes rolled a changeable done mediocre Trubin’s legs aft gathering Gordon’s stellar walk it was each over. Mourinho had warned that Newcastle person “four very, very, accelerated wingers”and 3 goals from 2 wingers had destroyed his hopes of securing Benfica’s first Champions League points of nan season.