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When Jose Mourinho came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, local supporters were concerned about a tough game. However such fears vanished thanks to a goal from the winger and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring Benfica's new manager would not cause pain for Newcastle.

Game Dynamics and Initial Action

The Benfica boss had predicted that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their own combative approach. Benfica clearly delighted in breaking up the Magpies' early efforts to establish a fluent passing tempo.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, two players, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, started on the bench as they continued recovering from sickness and a knock respectively.

Prior to kick-off, the two managers shared a brief, reserved greeting, and it quickly became clear that the Benfica coach had instructed his team to quiet the crowd by slowing the game and lowering the temperature whenever possible.

Critical Moments and Turning Points

The visitors' tactic produced mixed outcomes, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to dismantle the defensive barricades, they initially found it hard to generate good opportunities.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating the defender behind, he forced Nick Pope with a tremendous strike that got an terrific single-hand stop. It's no surprise the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team return in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger hit a further shot off the woodwork, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy shot off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent close-range save from Guimaraes before Gordon at last broke the scoreless tie.

The England winger's blazing pace had caused consternation for Mourinho all evening, and he neatly slotted the first goal past Trubin after his teammate's quick cross into the box proved effective.

When Newcastle's intense, pressing game was not second-guessed by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to pass a ground ball across the face of goal for Gordon to polish off.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Changes

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their players attacked with total freedom. The winger repeatedly showed an skill to destabilize Newcastle's back four, and the home team were probably grateful to regroup at half-time.

The opening period concluded with Pope once more saving his side by diverting the attacker's shot around the goal frame, and as the sides emerged for the next period, the match seemed finely poised.

If Anthony Gordon, clearly boosted by scoring his fourth strike in three European games this campaign, played with the determination of a wide player set to alter the power balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had different plans.

The manager's No 11 had previously shown that, while Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a born left-back, and Newcastle hearts were in mouths every time he moved forward.

Howe might have felt easier had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece above the bar from a good position. Instead, this absorbing game continued to swing from one goal to the other, persuading the manager to introduce the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, brought on an extra striker in Franjo Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a risk that backfired.

Harvey Barnes Wins the Game

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portugal back Silva, had performed a good job in restricting Woltemade's space and forcing Newcastle's Germany striker deep. However, with right-back Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the path was clear for Harvey Barnes to show that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.

Newcastle's two changes was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper sent a wonderful throw in the substitute's direction. When Silva, on this occasion, misread the flight, Barnes was clear, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining commendable poise to fire a sublime strike past the keeper.

After Barnes rolled a shot through unfortunate Trubin's feet after meeting Gordon's stellar pass, it was finished. Mourinho had warned that Newcastle have four very fast wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had shattered his hopes of securing the team's first Champions League result of the season.