Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes were on target as Newcastle United secured a commanding 3-0 victory over José Mourinho's Benfica at St James' Park. The result lifts Newcastle to seventh in the Champions League table, while Benfica's hopes of reaching the knockout stages appear in jeopardy.
Gordon opened the scoring with a fine goal, before substitute Barnes added two more to seal the win. The third goal was assisted by goalkeeper Nick Pope, who launched the ball over 68 yards. Pope became just the second English goalkeeper in history to provide a Champions League assist.
Gordon, who became the first Newcastle player to score in three consecutive Champions League games, said: 'It means everything but we need more, my ambition doesn't stop there. We had so many chances, we had to put one away to calm the nerves.'
Meanwhile, Manchester City cruised to a 2-0 win at Villarreal, with Erling Haaland scoring in his ninth consecutive match across all competitions. City dominated possession and created numerous chances, with Haaland, Savinho and Jérémy Doku combining well. Pep Guardiola praised Rico Lewis, saying: 'I love that player. I adore this type of player. He knows when and how he has to move.'
In other Champions League action, Arsenal beat Atlético Madrid 4-0, PSV thrashed Napoli 6-2, and Paris Saint-Germain routed Bayer Leverkusen 7-2. The new Champions League format has produced 43 goals in nine games so far, leading some fans to reconsider their initial scepticism.
