Gordon continues European form as Newcastle rout Mourinho's Benfica

Newcastle United's Harvey Barnes (left) celebrates with Anthony Gordon after scoring their side's third goal. Pic: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.

Champions League: Newcastle 3 Benfica 0 

ANTHONY Gordon continued his Champions League love-in as Harvey Barnes joined in the fun to brutally underline that the special one is not quite so special these days.

Jose Mourinho, like Benfica, is clearly trading on former glories. 

The two-time European Champions lost their fifth consecutive game in this competition and look increasingly like they are just making up the numbers at this level. 

For a serial winner like the 62-year-old once was, it's a bitter pill to swallow.

Newcastle were never at their fluent best, but still did enough to ensure Benfica have now won just one of last 10 games in this country - and that came 11 years ago. Tougher tests clearly lie in wait, but a return of six points from the first nine represents an encouraging start to the campaign for Eddie Howe's side.

Gordon scored for the third consecutive Champions League game, the England winger's first-half opener taking his tally to four this season on a night to forget for Mourinho, who was booked for speaking out of turn to the officials after the break as the frustrations at his new down-graded status spilled over.

Benfica have won just three of the seven games since the return of the not so special one and despite a bright start they fell away badly to and could have few complaints about an outcome that would have been far more embarrassing but for the heroics of keeper Anatoliy Trubin.

Barnes came off the bench to wrap-up a comfortable victory, doubling the lead 20 minutes from time as he sprinted onto a booming 40-yard throw from goalkeeper Nick Pope to sprint past Antonio Silva before firing an angled drive beyond Trubin to find the net off the foot of the post.

It was a special finish, but the fact that the majority of Newcastle players ran to mob the England keeper for his part in the goal suggested where they felt most of the credit should go. Add to that a seventh clean sheet in 11 appearances this season and it was a decent night for the Geordies' number one.

Howe's side far from had things their own way early on. Before turning quarter-back, Pope was by far the busier of the keepers until Newcastle recovered from a largely underwhelming start to take a 32nd-minute lead.

Vangelis Pavlidis should have done better when firing into the side-netting from a decent position. Dodi Lukebakio was a particular threat, and the speedy Belgian international forward forced Pope into a fine near post save from a narrow angle after leaving Dan Burn for dead on an uncomfortable night for the stand-in left-back.

Like the other 52,000 people inside St James' Park, the Newcastle keeper was little more than a spectator when Lukebakio, who is yet to open his account after signing from Sevilla last month, unfurled a sumptuous curling left-foot effort from the corner of the area which struck the outside of Pope's right-hand post.

Newcastle belatedly found their feet and it took a fine block from Trubin to prevent Bruno Guimaraes finding the net from close range.

The opener arrived soon after as a perfectly-weighted slide-rule pass from the increasingly influential Guimaraes released Jacob Murphy down the right. Newcastle's assist-king was soon at it again, sending an inviting low centre across the area. 

With his marker Amar Dedic trailing behind, Gordon needed no second invitation to sweep home the opener from 10 yards.

Trubin pulled off a smart save low to his right to deny Murphy as the hosts maintained their momentum into the second-half. 

Guimaraes felt he should have had a penalty after an over-enthusiastic Fredrik Aursnes challenge in the box, but the growing nervousness from the stands at the absence of a nerve-soothing second goal soon dissipated courtesy of Pope's celebrated assist.

There was still time for Barnes to double his tally with seven minutes remaining, Gordon turning provider for the substitute to thread a shot through Trubin's legs from inside the box to round-off a perfect night's work.

Newcastle (4-3-3): Pope 8; Trippier 7, Thiaw 7, Botman 7, Burn 6; Miley 6, Guimaraes 8 (Willock 90, 6), Ramsey 5 (Joelinton 63, 6); Murphy 7 (Barnes 63, 9), Woltemade 6 (Osula 85, 6), Gordon 8 (Elanga 86, 6). 

Benfica (4-3-3): Trubin 7; Dedic 4 (Ivanovic 63, 5), Antonio Silva 4, Otamendi 4, Araujo 4; Rios 4, Barrenechea 4, Aursnes 4; Lukebakio 7, Pavlidis 5, Sudakov 4. 

Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland)