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When Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and praised Eddie Howe and his players, local fans feared a tough game. However those fears vanished due to a strike from the winger and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring the visitors' coach would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.

Match Flow and Initial Exchanges

The Benfica boss had forecast that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players showed their similar combative approach. The visitors certainly delighted in disrupting the Magpies' early efforts to build a smooth attacking tempo.

Adding to Newcastle's issues, key players, Tonali and the Brazilian, started as substitutes as they continued recovering from sickness and injury each.

Prior to the start, the two managers shared a brief, cool greeting, and it soon became clear that Mourinho had instructed his team to subdue the home fans by slowing Newcastle and lowering the intensity at every chance.

Critical Events and Decisive Actions

Benfica's tactic yielded varied outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates succeeded to break through the backline, they initially found it hard to create good chances.

Moreover, the Belgian attacker Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn behind, he tested Nick Pope with a powerful shot that required an terrific single-hand save. No wonder Pope retains hope for an national team recall in time for the global tournament.

Yet when Lukebakio hit a further shot off the post, Newcastle roused themselves. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon at last broke the scoreless tie.

The England winger's blazing pace had created problems for the Benfica coach all evening, and he neatly slotted the first goal past Trubin after Murphy's early cross into the area proved effective.

When the Magpies' hard, high press was not anticipated by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was available to pass a low cross across the goal for Gordon to finish.

Second Half and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's players pushed forward with total abandon. Lukebakio consistently displayed an skill to unsettle Howe's back four, and the Magpies were probably relieved to reset at the break.

The first half concluded with Pope again rescuing his team by diverting the attacker's left-foot around the post, and as the teams emerged for the next period, everything seemed evenly poised.

While Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three European games this season, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to alter the balance in Newcastle's favor, Lukebakio had other ideas.

The manager's winger had already emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a natural left-back, and home fans were nervous every time Lukebakio moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not directed a set-piece above the bar from a well-placed spot. Rather, this thrilling game continued to move from end to end, prompting Newcastle's manager to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, at the same time, brought on an extra forward in Franjo Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a gamble too far.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Game

Before that, Benfica, and especially their Portugal defender Silva, had performed a fine job in restricting Woltemade's room and forcing Newcastle's Germany centre-forward deep. But now, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the path was clear for Harvey Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.

The home side's double substitution was already proving effective by the time Pope dispatched a superb long throw in the substitute's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misjudged the bounce, the winger was away, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining commendable poise to fire a superb strike past Trubin.

After Harvey Barnes rolled a shot through poor Trubin's legs after meeting Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. Mourinho had warned that Newcastle have several very fast wide attackers, and three goals from a pair of wide men had shattered his chances of earning the team's first European result of the season.