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Newcastle United BATTER Benfica to make it 6 from 9 in the Champions League!
11 Plays6 hours ago
Two Goals from Harvey Barnes and an opener from Anthony Gordon gave Newcastle a 3-0 victory over Benfica at St James' Park on Tuesday Night. Daily Newcastle's Michael Grahamslaw talks us through the game, his thoughts and why Newcastle United's wingers responded to Saturday's criticism in the best possible manner before asking where will Newcastle finish in the League phase of the Champions League?
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Transcript
Newcastle's Champions League Triumphs
00:00:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Newcastle. After Newcastle United have won back, two back, Champions League matches after a 3-0 win against Jose Mourinho and Benfica.
00:00:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, that comes after losing to Barcelona in the opening game, tight game as well, and absolutely smashing Union St. Gilroy 4-0 last time out. Now, it's the first time Newcastle United have kept a clean sheet at home in the Champions League.
00:00:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
since Juventus in 2002, which ended with an Andy Griffin goal as Newcastle won 1-0, and is, well, back-to-back clean sheets and back-to-back wins, which I think you can look up yourself when that happens, because it was a very, very long time ago.
Squad Changes and Challenges
00:01:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
But in regards to the team news, three changes from the side that lost to Brighton and North Albion. Sandro Tonali, Joe Linton and Anthony Alanga out. Lewis Miley Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy in.
00:01:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, we knew Sandro Tonali would be missing. um Anyhow mentioned he's got an illness. And when Lewis Miley plays as good as he did against Brighton and as good as he did tonight, Sandro is more than welcome to take a sick day once in a while.
00:01:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just don't make a habit of it, Sandro. ah Joe Linton, on the other hand, think the injury he picked up for Brazil is probably worse than he gave off. He came back. We were told he had an injury.
00:01:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
He felt he was fine. Didn't quite play up to expectations against Brighton, but when he came on against Benfica, he did look good. um And for Anthony Alanga, I'm more than happy to keep him out of the spotlight.
00:01:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
And let him be that squad rotation impact sub-player in his first season. and He could well be a star player next year, but we know what Eddie Howe likes to do. Allow him to be the player that beds himself into the team je um quite gently.
00:02:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Allow him to just grow as a Newcastle United player, because the talent is there, but it just feels like he's a bit desperate and he's forcing it at the moment. um But he came on, did nothing wrong today, and...
00:02:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
we came up with a brilliant victory.
Tactical Surprises and Game Dynamics
00:02:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, happy days on that front, and the changes looked brilliant. ah For Benfica, it was a completely different formation and style of play to what we're used to.
00:02:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
They played five at the back. 5-2-3 was the official formation with Luke Bakio and Sudikov joining Pavlo Divis up front. um So much of the tactical work we would have done around Benfica's 4-3-3, like they played against Chelsea, probably been for naught.
00:02:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
But... Jose Mourinho is known for tampering with his teams to try and get the best results. Thankfully, it didn't work tonight. But getting into the game, Newcastle started very well.
00:03:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Gordon in particular beating his man all ends up. Denic should have had a yellow card in the first five minutes. We were playing really good football, but the final ball was just a little bit lacking. How many times have we heard that before? um But it was particularly lacking for Jacob Murphy in the first ten minutes. And spoiler, that doesn't last. um Our best chance of the game, I mean, best two chances in the first half, really came from set pieces.
00:03:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Corners in particular, the first one, Dan Byrne, lovely weighted cross from Trippier from left to right. Byrne gets ahead at the back post, drops in front of Troubin. He makes a good save and Lewis Miley just can't get his foot in the ball to div divert and then yeah well divert it beyond the keeper.
00:03:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
The second one I'll go into a bit later, but two out the three of us corners created good chances. The third was taken short and wasted. which we do hear about quite a bit. But before get into the second corner, it did feel like in the 10th minute, after the 10th minute, to be honest, it was starting to linger. It was starting to smell a little bit like Brighton at the weekend. Benfica had a bit of a dominant 15-minute spell in you were thinking, we're going to start well, not take the chance that we create, and then get put on the back foot.
00:04:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
And if anyone was going to do that for Benfica, it was going to be Luke Bakio. absolutely fantastic performance in the first half by the Belgian. ah He was their main danger man and I was very surprised to hear that he hadn't scored for them yet um because he looks electric. um To be honest, he didn't actually really have a half chance.
00:04:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's total total XG for the game is probably below 0.2. um But he hit the post and had forced Nick Pope into some great saves.
00:04:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
The first comes from a long diagonal ball from left to right. um The Belgian's first touch puts Dan Byrne on his arse, if I'm honest. And the man from Blythe could only watch from the ground as Nick Pope made a strong save to deny the Benfica man his first goal. Chow picked up a yellow card for a poor child challenge on Papadavis.
00:05:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And then afterwards... Struggle to deal with the ball. It's another long ball that comes towards him. Tries to head it clear, just mid-judges it a little bit. Pavla Divas picks up the ball, moves it left, gets it out of his feet quite well, um and then smashes it against the the side netting. But...
00:05:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sort of beginning to look like there's some nervy, nervy moments for Newcastle. ah Nick Pope, and this is the only time I'm going to see anything bad about him in the entire episode, um which probably won't be that long.
00:05:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
But the act rest of the game is fantastic. He did have his monthly... I'm going to get lost on the ball. Players are going to press me. I'm going to panic and kick it straight out of play, ah which led to a corner for Benfica. And it wouldn't have been mentioned if it wasn't for Luke Baggio smashing the post ah following the corner.
00:06:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
They put it in. it's It's handled pretty easily by Newcastle. Set pieces we sort of dominated on. and But Benfica recycled the play really well. It comes out of the right-hand side. do You think Luke Batio is going to run at Dan Byrne once again. and Instead, he cuts in and just curls the ball from 30 yards and it smashes against the post. and Nick Pope was diving for it, but I don't think he gets anywhere near it if it's on target. So it felt like from that moment on, Benfica were going to dominate.
00:06:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
But thankfully, it just woke Newcastle United up.
Key Plays and Goals
00:06:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Murphy blasted a ah pot shot wide. ah Murphy and Bruno were the ones that really turned the tables for Newcastle um in regards to getting on the ball and creating chances.
00:06:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Bruno forced Trouban into a great save. It's the second corner of the game, which I mentioned earlier. Another ball hit to the back post, this time from right to left. Dan Byrne gets a header on it, but instead of going for goal,
00:07:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
heads it into the path of Bruno Gomares, who flicks it towards goal, and Troubin makes another good save. The first of many, to be honest, in the game. Or the second of many in the game, should I say.
00:07:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then it was the, yeah, then the deadlock was broken. um To be honest, it's the first time we really executed the press excellently. um And Benfica have the ball for about 15, 20 seconds.
00:07:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
and They start passing it back and Newcastle begin the press. We start to ramp up the intensity. It goes out to their left back. They can't handle it. He tries to float a ball into centre midfield, up to Pavlo Davis, who's come deep. Malik Chau wins the ball, knocks it to Bruno, who excellently just cuts the ball in between the full-back and the centre-back. Finds Murphy, who got his cross absolutely spot on and squared it, should I say, for Anthony Gordon to tap home.
00:08:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
An absolutely great goal to make it 1-0. And it didn't look like it was going to stop there for Newcastle. Bruno and Murphy play a lovely 1-2. Murphy's cross is met by Bruno at the near post and his flick just hobbles or bobbles maybe past the far post.
00:08:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Another good good chance. Probably not one net on the XG. You would say, oh, that should have been a goal. um But the distance met and the little flick meant it could have went anywhere.
00:08:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
But then just before halftime, It's that man again for Benfica. Luke Bacchio picks up the ball on a quick break, and thinking, right, this time he's not going to cut inside. He's going to drive with Dan Byrne again, and instead he just takes a quick shot, fires it from ah very similar distance, 25, 30 yards, ah probably more than 25 yards, actually, and just tries to smash it at the near post, and Pope makes another good save, maybe one that's more for the cameras.
00:09:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it meant that Newcastle United went into the break 1-0 ahead. The wingers, absolutely fantastic in the first half. Ramsey, I would have liked to see more of him on ball. And Nick Voltomar wasn't fantastic.
00:09:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
But everything that he did still came off. And he still had very, very good first half. But for the players that, well, for Benfica in particular, they needed just a little bit more. Maybe they should have checked out by Anik.
00:10:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely fantastic stuff. So the second half then starts as the first half ends. Gordon Vultemar have some efforts blocked, well blocked by the defence. I think it was Otto Mendy both times. And then from the corner...
00:10:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
which comes from Valtomar, that's shot just trickling wide. um Lewis Miley misses a golden chance in the game. um And to tell you how good it was, I believe it was Miley's only clear effort at goal, and he had the highest XG of any Newcastle United player today.
00:10:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Corner comes in, delightful cross from Kieran Trippier. His crossing was so much better today than what we've seen in recent games. I actually thought he had an excellent game. But Lewis Miley does brilliantly well to escape Pavlo Davis, does brilliantly well to get beyond Otamendi, but his header, he just gets under it a little bit, hits it hits the top of his head rather than the forehead, and it goes over the bar.
00:11:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you're thinking... that might that was the chance uh but thankfully we'd have plenty plenty more murphy's the next to take the chance at goal ramsay does brilliantly to win it midfield gordon does a little mazey run in between the players finally gets tackled ball comes out of miley who passes it uh puts a delicate little pass between the fullback and the center back finds Murphy in behind his fullback, who drives it low towards the far corner.
00:11:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Keeper pulls off a good save. Well done, Truban, once again. Did very, very well during the game. Despite me saying in the build-up, he'll probably be the reason we get a goal because he's mistake-prone.
00:11:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Fair play to him. ah But it feel it feels like at that point, the game's sort slowing down a little bit more. Those two chances came the first time. five minutes i think of the second half the next 10 minutes we just quite played at a bit of a slower pace and you were thinking whoever makes the better substitution sierra is probably going to go on to win the game and considering how our subs have been in the past or should i say this season didn't really have too much hope but it was a strong bench and oh was it a strong bench
00:12:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely fantastic. The changes came for Newcastle. Murphy off for Harvey Barnes. Joe Linton on for Jacob Ramsey. Murphy was absolutely excellent. Ramsey not involved too much on the ball, but defensive work was excellent.
00:12:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then the game is probably sealed at this point. Benfica didn't really do enough ah that made you think they were going to get two goals. But the game is done from some excellent work by Nick Pope.
00:12:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, who would have thought we'd ever be saying that about a Newcastle United goal? um But it's a world-class throw that you would see the likes of in the Olympics if Team GB won another member of the shot put team or something like that Nick Pope is available at the end of the year but he finds Harvey Barnes beyond the halfway line and I have to say as well it's an absolutely excellent run from Harvey Barnes because when Pope um gathers the ball from the set piece it's almost like Newcastle United are slowing the play down we're going to sort of
00:13:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know just dilutes their momentum a little bit. And then all of a sudden something clicks. Harvey Barnes just darts down the wing. Now, it's very obvious that this is something that Eddie Howard, Jason Tindall has told them to do and something they've worked on.
00:13:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it completely caught Benfica off guard. Long throw by Nick Pope, as I mentioned, excellent throw. And Antonio Silva, who is probably four player three or four players away from Harvey Barnes, is the one that gets closest to the throw, he spots the danger, before anyone else, but he just can't get there, it bounces beyond the defence, Harvey Barnes runs onto it, and ends up,
00:14:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
putting the ball in the back of the net. It's an excellent finish. He fires it across goal. It hits against the the inside of the post and goes into the back of the net. An absolutely brilliant finish from a man who hasn't seemed the most confident front goal.
00:14:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely clinical, excellent, and it wasn't the last we'd hear of Harvey Barnes. But before then, Bruno runs the half the length of the pitch before getting fouled, wins a free kick,
00:14:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then the free kick is taken by, I believe it's Gordon, gets headed to Bruno 10 yards out and his volley goes over the bar. Joe Linton then comes close as Gordon puts in another beautiful cross and his flicked header comes off Otamendi and goes wide.
00:14:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah There was also a VAR call as Ricard Rios took out Gordon in the box. Gordon also fires a pot shot wide. Gordon was basically involved in absolutely everything.
00:14:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Fantastic today and I will say for the VAR call, I do think it was a penalty. It was closer to being a penalty than it wasn't. But it probably wasn't a stone wall, which means VAR shouldn't be overturning it. So they probably got it right in the grand scheme of things.
00:15:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But what it was a minute later that Newcastle got the third, and it is some beautiful, beautiful football. ah To quote Eddie Howe, if you want to call it sexy football, he hasn't got any complaints.
00:15:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Anthony Gordon wins the ball back from the high press, plays an excellent, delightful one-two with Nick Vultomata, who just flicks it behind him. Again, first touch, Nick's Vultomata, very few better.
00:15:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Finds Barnes, so the ball comes into Gordon's path. He takes a touch away from the defender, slides in Barnes, and the clinical Harvey Barnes has officially returned to St. James' Park.
00:15:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, whether he stays or not, that remains to be seen, but tonight he was there. He slides the ball underneath Trubin, another great finish for a man who, as we mentioned, hasn't been great, but I could not be happier for the Leicester man.
00:16:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
former Leicester man, should I say. um It's one of those where he's been under heavy criticism by a lot of people this season, myself included. I ain't going to say I've been backing him the whole time.
00:16:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's looked pretty poor when he's came on, but today the Harvey Barnes we love was here to stay. And hopefully he's here to stay for the rest of the season. But the game was beyond doubt. 3-0.
00:16:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Newcastle bring on Anthony Alanga for Anthony Gordon. Fantastic performance from Gordon, as I say. ah One of the probably the performances we've been waiting for in a Newcastle shirt this season. ah We always knew he was capable, we just haven't seen it too many times. so Brilliant today. And then William Asula came on for Nick Valtemara, who, again, quiet a night.
00:16:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
But those deft touches and flicks, just excellent.
Victory and Future Prospects
00:16:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Teams can't handle him. And then to finish off the game, Newcastle had a few chances. Bottman denied by Trubin.
00:17:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Osula and Willick should have both at least got a shot on target. Osula has the better chance. He's running onto a cross. He just misses it. Joe Willick's there at the back post. um Gets a touch on it, but it's very difficult to score from that range and at that with the cross coming in at that pace.
00:17:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then Trubin makes two decent saves to deny Joe Linton. And Dan Byrne, who fired in a half-volley from about 25 yards out. He's been watching his Fabian Shaw tapes, apparently.
00:17:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But Newcastle United... Kept back-to-back clean sheets in the Champions League as the full-time whistle went. And we won back-to-back Champions League games for the first time in 22 years.
00:17:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
3-0 win for Newcastle, an excellent performance from the Magpies. Six points from nine in the Champions League. We sit in seventh in the table with half the team still to play in the tournament this round.
00:17:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
and But we'll forget about that. The goal difference is looking really, really good. Will Newcastle United qualify from the league stage of the Champions League? And if they do, where do they finish?
00:18:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let me know in the comments. Next up is Fulham on Saturday, but we've got three more episodes before then. Ian will sum up the game much better than I have here with a full reaction tomorrow.
00:18:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then following that, we've got the build-up to Fulham, which all of a sudden feels very, very exciting. This is the game we needed. Eddie Howe said we want we needed something to come fast, and we needed a reaction from Brighton.
00:18:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've certainly got it. Absolutely excellent from Newcastle United. But from me, it's only things are only going to get better, and we'll see you next time.