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When Jose Mourinho arrived at Newcastle's stadium and complimented Newcastle's coach and his players, home fans were concerned about a difficult match. But such worries disappeared due to a goal from the winger and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, making sure the visitors' coach would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.

Game Flow and Initial Action

Mourinho had forecast that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players showed their similar aggressive approach. The visitors certainly enjoyed breaking up the Magpies' early attempts to establish a smooth attacking tempo.

Compounding Newcastle's issues, two midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, began as substitutes as they were recovering from sickness and injury respectively.

Prior to the start, the two managers exchanged a brief, reserved embrace, and it soon became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his side to subdue the crowd by slowing the game and lowering the temperature at every chance.

Critical Events and Decisive Actions

Benfica's tactic produced varied outcomes, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle the defensive barricades, they at first struggled to create good opportunities.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgian winger Lukebakio nearly demonstrated scoring skill when, after leaving Dan Burn behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous strike that got an excellent one-handed save. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team return in time for the World Cup.

Yet when Lukebakio directed a further shot off the post, Newcastle roused themselves. Jacob Murphy shot wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive near-post stop from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last opened the deadlock.

Gordon's blazing pace had caused consternation for Mourinho all evening, and he neatly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's quick ball into the box proved effective.

On the occasion Newcastle's intense, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to pass a low ball across the face of goal for Gordon to finish.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's players pushed forward with real freedom. The winger repeatedly displayed an skill to destabilize Newcastle's defense, and the home team were probably relieved to regroup at half-time.

The opening period concluded with Pope once more saving his team by diverting the attacker's left-foot wide of the post, and as the sides emerged for the second half, the match seemed evenly poised.

While Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three European appearances this campaign, played with the determination of a winger set to shift the power balance in Newcastle's favor, the Benfica attacker had other plans.

The manager's No 11 had already shown that, while Dan Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a born full-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time he advanced.

Howe might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not headed a corner above the crossbar from a good position. Rather, this thrilling game continued to swing from end to end, prompting the manager to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, brought on an additional forward in Franjo Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a risk that backfired.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Match

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portugal defender Silva, had performed a good job in limiting Woltemade's space and pushing the German centre-forward deep. But now, with right-back Dedic off, the defense was weakened, and the way was open for Harvey Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only attacking winger.

Newcastle's two changes was already proving effective by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful throw in Barnes's direction. When Antonio Silva, for once, misread the flight, Barnes was clear, accelerating into the area before maintaining commendable poise to fire a superb strike past Trubin.

After Harvey Barnes slid a shot through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Anthony Gordon's stellar pass, it was all over. Mourinho had cautioned that the Magpies have several quick wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had destroyed his hopes of earning the team's first European result of the season.