Pope kills off Mourinho’s Benfica with 65-yard wonder-throw
Nick Pope is sometimes criticised for his ability to play with his feet, but you will not see a goalkeeper produce a better assist than the one he provided for Harvey Barnes to score Newcastle United’s crucial second goal.
When you can throw a ball further than most can kick it, you do not need to boot it the length of the pitch – or 65 yards to be precise – to launch a counter attack.
It was like watching a quarterback throwing a deep pass to a galloping wide receiver. Having plucked a wayward cross out of the air, Pope spotted Barnes sprinting forward, bent his back, wound up his long levers and propelled a missile into the night sky.
The Benfica defenders – and there were three of them back in and around the halfway line – could not quite believe how far the ball travelled, swirling and curling into their half of the pitch.
They committed the cardinal sin, caught by surprise and flat footed, allowing it to bounce into the path of Barnes, who took the ball on and, from a tight angle, squeezed a shot into the bottom corner.
It was a lovely finish, but the fact half of the Newcastle team ran to celebrate with their goalkeeper, rather than the goalscorer, showed how special the moment was. Pope stood with both fists in the air as his defenders engulfed him.
Pope’s remarkable assist was a redemption story of sorts for the giant goalkeeper. The 33-year-old, roared on by the crowd, had tried to launch a similar counter attack against Arsenal, with a wayward kick. It gifted possession back to the opposition, who forced a corner from which they scored a late winner in September.
The goalkeeper, who was voted into the players’ leadership group in the summer, knew he had failed his team on that occasion. His clenched-fist celebration in the direction of the Leazes End drew a huge cheer from the crowd.
“It was a thing of beauty,” said Eddie Howe, the Newcastle manager. “It was a remarkable throw and we really needed that second goal. It was a spontaneous moment from Nick but we have been working on small elements of his distribution, but that was all down to him and it’s an excellent finish from Harvey.”
Barnes, whose ability to affect games from the bench is such a weapon for Newcastle, waved his appreciation from the other end of the pitch.
So too did Anthony Gordon, who delivered the sort of performance that reminded you what a fantastic player he can be when he is at his all-energy, relentless best.
“We all love [Nick] Pope,” the Newcastle man of the match said. “He is one of the most popular people in the dressing room. He is a top guy and a top keeper. He has kept us in so many games already this season and some of the saves he made were incredible.”
Gordon was electric, scoring Newcastle’s first goal – his fourth in three Champions League appearances – tapping in Jacob Murphy’s cross at the far post, just when Benfica were starting to get a foothold in the game.
He also came up with an assist for Newcastle’s third. An audacious flick from Nick Woltemade bamboozled the Benfica defence allowing Gordon to advance and slide a pass into the feet of Barnes, before the winger tucked it through the legs of the goalkeeper for this third goal of the campaign.
Newcastle have been struggling for goals in the Premier League, but have now scored eight in three games in the Champions League.
Neither Barnes or Gordon have scored a domestic goal, but are thoroughly enjoying themselves in Europe. The latter is also the first Newcastle player to score in three successive Champions League games as Newcastle secured back-to-back victories in this competition for the first time since 2003.
It is also worth noting that Murphy’s cross for the first goal of the night also delivered his third assist in Europe this season. There is a reason he has been nicknamed the Assist King.
The move started when Malick Thiaw intercepted a Benfica pass in the middle of the pitch, allowing Bruno Guimaraes to slip a through-ball, so well weighted, Murphy did not have to break stride to whip it into the area for Gordon’s strike.
Benfica had been a threat until then. They hit the post through the dangerous Dodi Lukebakio, the shot curling viciously, but not quite enough to find the net. Lukebakio also forced two good saves from Pope before half-time, but this was a night for Newcastle to prove they have the quality and the mentality to compete on this stage.
They were good in the first half but stepped it up another level in the second and blew Benfica away. The Portuguese side were clinging on, Lewis Miley putting a free header over from six yards and Murphy almost finding the bottom corner with a low shot as he cleverly used the defender to block the sight of the goalkeeper.
They needed the second goal to be comfortable and thanks to Pope’s howitzer of a throw they got it and ran riot in the closing stages.
It left Jose Mourinho, who had gone out of his way to praise Newcastle supporters before the game, repeatedly referencing the beautiful atmosphere they create to have a little dig.
“In the first half it was a quiet St James,” he said. “They felt the game was not easy, they felt Benfica were more likely to score. They brought their energy, their enthusiasm when they got a set piece with their team of giants but other than that it was quiet.
“The second goal changed the game. I thought it was a quiet St James’ Park until then. We played well in the first half, but in the end we couldn’t compete with their horsepower [in the second].”
[Source: Daily Telegraph]
