Anthony Gordon of Newcastle United celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammates Nick Woltemade (L) and Jacob Ramsey during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Newcastle United FC and SL Benfica at St James' Park on October 21, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)placeholder image
Anthony Gordon of Newcastle United celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammates Nick Woltemade (L) and Jacob Ramsey during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Newcastle United FC and SL Benfica at St James' Park on October 21, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Newcastle United beat Jose Mourinho’s Benfica 3-0 in the Champions League at St James’ Park.
Newcastle claimed back-to-back wins in the Champions League for the first time since 2003 after following up their 4-0 win against Union Saint-Gilloise in Brussels last month.
Gordon scored twice in Belgium and opened the scoring against Benfica by converting Jacob Murphy’s low cross. A 65-yard throw by goalkeeper Nick Pope then set substitute Harvey Barnes in behind to make it 2-0 before Barnes added a third as Gordon turned provider.
The victory saw Eddie Howe’s side move up 7th in the Champions League table. The top eight advance automatically to the last 16, while clubs ranked ninth to 24th take part in a seeded play-off round.
Portuguese media praise Newcastle United & Anthony Gordon
Benfica have lost all three of their Champions League matches so far, two of which have come under Jose Mourinho, Chelsea and Newcastle, after he succeeded Bruno Lage as manager.
In the article, Pope is described as a “top goalkeeper”, Bruno Guimaraes is said to have “pulled all the strings in midfield” while Nick Woltemade is called a “true pivot”. But that was one NUFC player that really stood out and that was Gordon, who was given the highest mark of 8/10.
“An arrow pointed at Trubin's goal,” A Bola wrote. “The array of technical skills that distinguish Gordon darkened Dedic's night. The 24-year-old winger outmanoeuvred the Bosnian full-back from the first minute, both in one-on-one situations on the wing and with venomous runs into the penalty area.
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“The English international compensated for pivot Woltemade's runs into midfield and appeared in the right place to tap in Murphy's cross in the 32nd minute, into Trubin's net.
“In the second half, Gordon spread his wings on the left wing and was unselfish in the central corridor. He provided the assist for Barnes (82') that sealed the Reds' downfall.”
Malick Thiaw was handed a 4/10, the lowest of any Newcastle player, but no explanation has been given. Indeed, it seems harsh given the German defender played a key role in the opening goal and stealing possession high up the pitch.
A Bola ratings: Pope (7); Kieran Trippier (5), Sven Botman (6), Thiaw (4), Dan Burn (5); Bruno Guimaraes (7), Lewis Miley (6), Jacob Ramsey (5); Murphy (7), Woltemade (6), Gordon (8), Barnes (7).
What Benfica boss Jose Mourinho said about Newcastle United
Speaking after the game, Mourinho said: “There's a team with a higher horsepower engine than the other, a team with much more intensity, a team with much more speed. As I said yesterday [the day before yesterday], I think in the press conference—if not in the press conference, it was on TV—they have four lightning-fast wingers. They don't have one or two, they have four. And when you change two who come on in the 50th or 60th minute, when you change one and then later change another, we, losing the compact play we had in the first half, were exposed.
“We lack physical ability, and don't get me wrong, because it's not saying the team is physically weak or has been physically weak in the past; it's simply a matter of characteristics. Elanga , Barnes, Anthony Gordon —all these players have such speed and intensity that we can only compete if we're compact and organized.
“We score a goal before them, we reach half-time leading, we reach half-time tied, we can continue with the same type of organisation. Then, the second goal, psychologically, kills us. The players felt the second goal deeply, and then the game took a different turn, which was tough for us.”
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