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As Jose Mourinho arrived at St James' Park and complimented Newcastle's coach and his squad, local supporters feared a difficult match. However such fears disappeared thanks to a strike from the winger and two more from substitute the forward, making sure the visitors' coach did not inflict pain for Newcastle.

Match Flow and Initial Exchanges

Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be very physical, but his own team displayed their own aggressive style. The visitors clearly delighted in disrupting the Magpies' early efforts to build a smooth attacking rhythm.

Compounding Newcastle's issues, two players, Tonali and the Brazilian, began as substitutes as they were recovering from sickness and a knock respectively.

Before kick-off, the coaches shared a brief, cool greeting, and it soon became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his side to subdue the home fans by delaying the game and lowering the intensity at every chance.

Critical Events and Turning Points

The visitors' tactic yielded mixed outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to break through Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first struggled to generate clear chances.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgium attacker Lukebakio almost showed scoring skill when, after leaving Dan Burn on the ground, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful strike that required an excellent one-handed save. It's no surprise Pope retains hope for an national team return in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger hit another attempt off the post, the home side roused themselves. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range save from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon at last broke the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching speed had created problems for Mourinho all evening, and he calmly side-footed the first goal past Trubin after his teammate's quick ball into the area proved effective.

When the Magpies' hard, pressing game was not anticipated by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to pass a ground cross across the face of goal for Gordon to finish.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now their players pushed forward with real abandon. The winger repeatedly showed an ability to unsettle Howe's back four, and the Magpies were probably grateful to reset at the break.

The opening period concluded with the keeper again rescuing his side by tipping the attacker's left-foot wide of the goal frame, and as the sides emerged for the next period, everything seemed finely balanced.

If Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth strike in three Champions League games this season, played with the determination of a wide player set to shift the balance in his team's favor, Lukebakio had different plans.

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

Howe might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, deputising for Tonali, not directed a corner above the crossbar from a good position. Rather, this absorbing contest continued to move from one goal to the other, persuading Newcastle's coach to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

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

Barnes Seals the Game

Until then, Benfica, and especially their Portugal defender Silva, had performed a good job in restricting Woltemade's room and forcing Newcastle's German centre-forward back. But now, with defender Dedic substituted, the defense was underpowered, and the way was open for Harvey Barnes to prove that Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring wide player.

Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper sent a superb throw in the substitute's direction. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the bounce, the winger was away, accelerating into the area before maintaining commendable poise to lash a sublime strike past Trubin.

After Barnes slid a shot through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's stellar through ball, it was all over. Mourinho had cautioned that Newcastle have several quick wingers, and three goals from two wide men had destroyed his chances of earning Benfica's first European result of the campaign.