An emphatic affirmation of how brilliant European nights are… | OneFootball

This is hard to process, all of this.

The weekend just gone was awful, with a defeat that was as damaging as it was obvious, some unacceptable performances and a miserable league table that suggests both that European qualification will be a challenge and that the mackems are better than us. Maybe give it until Christmas would be my advice to anyone losing their stuff.

In the meantime, we had the small matter of (checks notes) the Champions League.

Here cometh Benfica, who the likes of me will remember as destructors of our promising 2012-13 Europa League campaign, but today resemble a lower rank option in European competition, if their defeat at home to Qarabag in the first round of matches was anything to go by. This game could be pivotal indeed.

If we could complement our win at USG with another three Champions League points at home, Europe looks bright and we have a basis to kick on in a busy week of domestic matters. Falter against a side that have regalvanised since the appointment of Mourinho and we may be mired in a struggle on all fronts.

I am happy to report that tonight would turn out it be nothing but an emphatic affirmation of how brilliant European nights are, while showing signs of what could be a magnificent couple of weeks.

My concern going into this was that Benfica would stifle the game and try and snatch a typical Mourinho win. Massive shout out to start with to the irrepressible Jacob Murphy, who was at the heart of everything United attempted and consistently drove the attacking impetus from the off. The tone was set early on, with Burn’s power header from Trippier’s corner creating chaos in the box that somehow failed to bring about an opener after a spot of penalty box pinball.

The aforementioned Burn was in danger of being exposed a tad as Benfica had one of those speed merchants on their right we don’t enjoy defending against. Dodi Lukebakio was apparently once discarded by Watford, which seemed ridiculous in the context of a game he threatened to dominate in Europe’s premier competition. He got way ahead of Burn and thrashed a shot at the near post, but Nick Pope was alert to bash the thunderbolt away. Lukebakio continued to threaten, with a further shot comfortably gathered by Pope and a subsequent spectacular effort beating him all ends up but deflecting off the woodwork as Benfica enjoyed a period of pressure the SJP heart rate could do without thanks ta.

The dial turned the other way though and it soon became obvious that United were set to deliver an impressive showing. Benfica’s attempt to play out was ended thunderously by Malick Thiaw (who I am quickly becoming utterly enamoured with) and his pass out found Bruno, who delivered the most magnificent defence splitting through ball for Murphy. Jacob Murphy did what he has consistently done for three years; he delivered the ball into the middle with pace, power and precision for a well positioned target man to convert. In this case Gordon was the lucky recipient to make it four goals in three UCL games.

Gordon looked a different man to the shadow chaser that had unimpressed at the AMEX three days previously, as he repeatedly beat his man on the outside and led the high press, tormenting Benfica to the extent he was singled out by Jose himself at full-time. Going into half-time though, I’d have maybe given the impressive Pope the lead for man of the match, as he saved yet again from Lukebakio in the closing moments. Gordon on the scoresheet but Pope’s actions determined who went into the break in the lead.

The second half bore out the thought I hadn’t dared speak out loud before this game: basically a decent Premier League side will have the measure of teams from most of the leagues across Europe, even in the Champions League. The second half rounded off United’s best performance of the season and may be the gateway to another autumnal settler if momentum can be maintained.

The pressure felt relentless as United went for the killer second. Gordon went on a mazy run, ended in dispossession but ultimately breaking to Murphy, whose wicked drive brought a good save from the keeper. Woltemade’s snapshot deflected narrowly wide, then Miley headed over from a perfect Trippier corner when he should have scored. Bruno hit the deck in the box then Gordon did likewise, in the latter case the roughhouse challenge combined with the ref’s signal for a goal kick made more than a few people think the penalty had been given. The infringement clearly wasn’t as obvious as that handball this ref gave against Livramento in Paris.

The complaints about the Gordon challenge were immediately drowned out, as the killer second finally arrived. Benfica’s attack from the goal kick brought a corner that ended safely in Pope’s hands. With the visitors piling forward for the set play, Pope produced a quite magnificent throw that cleared the halfway line and deceived the scrambling defenders, landing perfectly in the path of the accelerating Harvey Barnes. Pope duly took the plaudits for his first ever assist but due credit to Barnes who produced a fine run and finish from a tight angle just five minutes after coming on to the pitch.

You always fear the sucker punch at 1-0 but this scoreline, combined with the lack of threat shown from the visitors, gave the game a safe feel for the last 20 minutes. Pope’s super throw was an impressive bit of assisting but Newcastle’s third goal was the moment to savour in this match. Nick Woltemade has already proven himself to be so much more than a goal scorer, with some touches and flicks bordering on the Maradona-esque.

I hold a hope that successful integration of Wissa to add the bread and butter finishing to Big Nick’s glorious attacking link-up play could be the making of this season, and hopefully we’ll find out soon. The touch the German produced for this goal was another sublime dink, a backheel flick completing a one-two with Gordon who steamed forward and slid a beautifully weighted pass in for Barnes to finish under the keeper. Another one on the goal difference meant we ended the night in seventh in the league table, sandwiched between Bayern and Real Madrid. Canny.

There are so many promising signs to take from tonight. Gordon’s fine assist sealed him the player of the match award and hopefully he takes this confidence boost into the subsequent Premier League games. Ditto Barnes, whose quick fire double will have propelled him in the manager’s thinking. The reality is that these players will both be involved in a degree of rotation and that worked extremely well tonight, with sensible substitutions sharing the workload but not affecting the overall quality.

There are plenty of good things to say throughout the team. Thiaw is looking like a perfect blend of classy exterior with cold hard hatchet man lurking beneath. Ramsey had his best game since joining and looks recovered from his recent absence. Pope looks back to his prime 2022-23 form, as does Trippier. Murphy seems to deliver every time he’s given the chance. As for Woltemade, I don’t think anyone would have dreamed he would settle in to look so good so quick.

However, this is but one game, arguably against an opponent we should have expected to post a comfortable result on. It is imperative this slick and committed performance bleeds over into Saturday to return some much needed league points, then is maintained to continue the defence of our cup (which once again presents our most likely source of tangible success). If these three home wins can be completed, it could be transformative for a season that has been stop start so far.

Looking further ahead, the week after the Spurs game sees our next involvement in the Champions League, with Bilbao’s visit presenting another situation where United will be strong favourites. It seems inconceivable after the rock solid fixture list we were handed two years back, but in this format the Champions League is actually quite manageable, with a run of fixtures where points are more than attainable ahead of that final trip to Paris. Victory against the Basques could plant one foot in the play-off round at least, and that should be the minimum target from this continental campaign.

I suspect that later this season we will experience our first European knockout tie since that Pardew led defeat to tonight’s vanquished opponents. That’s that score settled thanks lads, now if we think back to last season there’s another one to straighten out on Saturday. Get into them.

Newcastle 3 Benfica 0 – Tuesday 21 October 2025 8pm

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Gordon 32, Barnes 70,83

Benfica:

Possession was Newcastle 52% Benfica 48%

Total shots were Newcastle 19 Benfica 7

Shots on target were Newcastle 10 Benfica 2

Corners were Newcastle 12 Benfica 8

Touches in the box Newcastle 38 Benfica 12

Pope, Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Bruno (Willock 90), Ramsey (Joelinton 63), Miley, Gordon (Elanga 85), Woltemade (Osula 85), Jacob Murphy (Barnes 63)

Unused subs:

Thompson, Ramsdale, Schar, Tonali, Krafth, Alex Murphy