Newcastle United 3-0 Benfica result – Brilliant Magpies rout Jose Mourinho’s Benfica on special Champions League night on Tyneside

Newcastle United produced a brilliant display at St James’ Park to blow Benfica away in a 3-0 rout in the UEFA Champions League.

Anthony Gordon’s goal had Newcastle 1-0 up at half-time after the lively left-winger had got on the end of a Jacob Murphy cross on 32 minutes.

But it had been a relatively even first-half, with Jose Mourinho’s visitors posing threat of their own prior to the interval, hitting the post and going close a couple of further times, with Dodi Lukebakio the primary danger on the counter-attack.

It was a different matter after the break however, with Newcastle turning their dominance of possession into complete control of the game, tearing Benfica apart time and again, with Gordon, Nick Woltemade and Bruno Guimarães the stand-out performers.

The second goal finally came courtesy of substitute Harvey Barnes, who was sensationally assisted by goalkeeper Nick Pope, who launched a giant overarm throw from his own box to well inside the Benfica half, setting up Barnes to burst into the box and shoot into the far corner.

And it was Barnes who added gloss to the scoreline, finishing off a flowing move that saw Woltemade and Gordon combine to play him in.

The 3-0 win moves Newcastle on to six points and up into the top eight in the Champions League table after Tuesday’s results, while Benfica are the only team to have played three matches and failed to pick up a point in the league phase so far.

Newcastle’s left-sided forward Anthony Gordon was electric all night, scored the opening goal, and has now found the net in all three of his team’s league phase matches. He is named Player of the Match, but has special praise for Nick Pope, who brilliantly set up Newcastle’s second goal.

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Newcastle have now won consecutive matches in the Champions League to put them on six points from three games, boosting them temporarily up into the top eight spots. The three-goal winning margin could help come the final shake-up too, but the Magpies have put themselves into a great position to at the very least grab a play-off spot, and they will now turn their focus towards pushing for one of those automatic places. Bilbao are the next visitors to Newcastle in this competition, ahead of tasty away trips to Marseille and Leverkusen.

"This year probably a few times when we have gone ahead in games, we’ve not quite gone for that second or third goal and it has sort of cost us a little bit, so tonight it was obviously good to go and get a second and then go and look for the third, for the fourth," substitute Harvey Barnes tells TNT Sports after the game.

The final whistle goes and Newcastle celebrate a big win and a special performance against Jose Mourinho’s Benfica.

We’re into two minutes of added time and Newcastle are still pushing forward, with Joelinton stinging the palms of the keeper with a shot from range.

Willock very nearly finds the net with his first touch, stretching to reach an inswinging cross at the far post and sending his header marginally off target.

The fantastic Guimaraes makes way for Newcastle and his name is cheered to the St James’ rafters.

Two of the stars of the night for Newcastle are given a standing ovation by the home fans. It’s Woltemade and Gordon who soak up the deserved praise, with Osula and Elanga coming on.

This is a goal that encapsulates the performance from Newcastle. They spring an attack and Woltemade’s gorgeous flick puts Gordon into space, who in turn feeds Barnes, who is lurking in the inside-right channel where there’s been so much joy for Newcastle tonight. Barnes takes a touch and then slots his shot between the legs of the onrushing keeper. It’s a classy team goal and surely wraps up this win.

Gordon feels a nudge in the back and goes down in the box. The referee bides his time and then awards a goal-kick, but in the manner that makes a lot of the crowd think he’s given a penalty.

Visiting this team at this ground under the lights is going to be a challenge for every single away team in this competition this season. We’ve already seen the Magpies push Barcelona close here, and they’re about to get a second win on the board.

The visitors are really on the ropes and it’s going to take something special for them to turn this around and avoid going pointless for the third straight Champions League evening.

Guimaraes has been so good tonight, and does brilliantly again to carry the ball deep into the Benfica half and then win a free-kick right by the byline. From the resulting corner he very nearly converts as the second ball drops to him, but it’s prodded off his foot by a defender just as he looks to pull the trigger.

What a goal that is! Pope unleashes a genuinely brilliant throw after claiming a cross, throwing the ball well beyond halfway to put Barnes into space, and Barnes bursts into the before shooting low across the keeper, finding the back of the net via the post. The Newcastle team mob their goalkeeper for his amazing assist. 2-0!

Guimaraes looks to pirouette in the box and is brought to the turf between two defenders. He appeals for a penalty and VAR does check it, but that’s not going to be given.

A member of Mourinho’s team on the bench has been shown a yellow card for their reaction to a late challenge by Trippier. That’s the second mistimed challenge by the full-back tonight, and the Benfica staff are unimpressed.

Barnes and Joelinton are on for Newcastle, replacing Murphy and Ramsey, and we’ll be seeing a change for Benfica in all likelihood too, with Dedic struggling with what looks like a pulled groin.

Newcastle are ripping into Benfica here and Woltemade has the crowd in raptures with a delicate little back-heel to feed Gordon on the break.

A mazy run from Gordon has Benfica stretched, and the ball breaks for Murphy, who shoots from an angle and sees his shot tipped just wide of the post. Newcastle have come flying out of the blocks in this second half.