With a 3-0 win at St. James’ Park, Newcastle inflicted more Champions League pain on Jose Mourinho’s Benfica with the debut of Harvey Barnes.
As Benfica continue to struggle in Europe’s elite competition this season, Anthony Gordon fired the Magpies in front.
With two composed right-footed finishes, Newcastle were well on the verge of qualifying for the league phase, which was introduced just after the hour mark.
In their opening game, Eddie Howe’s men won two games, including a 4-0 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise, following a defeat to Barcelona in the previous one.
In the Champions League standings, Newcastle moves up above Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Mourinho, who respects his mentor and former Newcastle boss Bobby Robson, who is embodied in a statue at St. James’ Park, admitted to being a “little Magpie” to Portuguese press last month.
Robson used Mourinho as a translator at Sporting Lisbon, Porto, and Barcelona to give him a break while he was coaching.
Robson requested the Portuguese work for him as an assistant manager at Newcastle in 1999, but Mourinho turned down the opportunity to take over as manager following his successful debut at , Benfica.
Mourinho’s Chelsea resumption last month saw the Portuguese giants lose 1-0.
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Benfica are the only team to have lost three of their three Champions League games this season, but they were left disappointed that they didn’t create more chances in the first half.
Dodi Lukebakio was a constant threat to visitors down the road.
Before Lukebakio’s curling effort from long range crashed off the post, the Belgium winger forced Nick Pope into a brilliant save at his near post.
The hosts, however, made the 32-minute breakthrough.
Jacob Murphy’s low cross was played in by Bruno Guimaraes down the right, and Gordon converted it for his third Champions League goal this season.
When Lewis Miley headed over from a corner completely unmarked, Newcastle should have increased their lead.
Antonio Silva fouled Barnes, who had already sped clear, before firing low and hard into the far corner, who was given the assist for the second goal.
Seven minutes into Newcastle’s Premier League goalscoring woes were put to one side by Gordon’s put-ahead goal. Barnes was followed by another composed finish.
To place 14th in the table, Howe’s team has only seven goals in its eight league games.
However, they could contend for a top-eight place finish in the Champions League to automatically advance to the last 16 after games against Athletic Bilbao, Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen, and PSV before a difficult final-night stopover of reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Source: Channels TV
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