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When Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and complimented Eddie Howe and his players, local fans were concerned about a tough game. However those worries disappeared thanks to a strike from the winger and two more from substitute Harvey Barnes, ensuring the visitors' new manager did not inflict any trouble for Newcastle.

Match Dynamics and Early Exchanges

Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their own aggressive style. Benfica certainly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's initial attempts to establish a fluent attacking rhythm.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, key players, Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they continued convalescing from illness and a knock each.

Prior to kick-off, the coaches shared a brief, reserved greeting, and it soon became clear that Mourinho had told his side to quiet the home fans by slowing Newcastle and reducing the temperature at every chance.

Critical Events and Decisive Actions

The visitors' tactic yielded varied results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates managed to break through Benfica's defensive barricades, they initially struggled to create clear opportunities.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgian attacker Dodi Lukebakio nearly showed scoring skill when, after beating Dan Burn on the ground, he tested Nick Pope with a powerful strike that got an terrific single-hand stop. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team return in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger hit another attempt against the woodwork, the home side woke up. Murphy fired off target, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive near-post save from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the scoreless tie.

Gordon's scorching pace had caused problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly side-footed the first goal past the goalkeeper after his teammate's quick cross into the box proved effective.

On the occasion the Magpies' intense, high press was not anticipated by the opposition, Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to deliver a ground ball across the goal for Gordon to polish off.

Second Half and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's side attacked with total abandon. The winger consistently showed an skill to destabilize Newcastle's defense, and the home team were probably grateful to reset at half-time.

The first half concluded with the keeper once more saving his team by tipping the attacker's left-foot wide of the post, and as the sides emerged for the second half, everything seemed evenly balanced.

If Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth strike in three Champions League games this season, played with the zeal of a wide player aiming to shift the power balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had other ideas.

The manager's No 11 had already shown that, while Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a natural left-back, and home fans were nervous every time Lukebakio advanced.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner above the crossbar from a good spot. Instead, this thrilling contest continued to move from one goal to the other, prompting the manager to bring on the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, threw on an additional forward in Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a risk too far.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Match

Until then, Benfica, and especially their Portugal back Antonio Silva, had performed a fine job in restricting Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's Germany striker deep. But now, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the way was open for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking wide player.

The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper sent a superb throw in the substitute's path. When Silva, for once, misjudged the flight, the winger was clear, sprinting into the area before keeping commendable poise to lash a superb shot past Trubin.

After Barnes slid a shot through unfortunate Trubin's legs after meeting Anthony Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. Mourinho had cautioned that Newcastle have four very fast wide attackers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had shattered his chances of earning the team's first Champions League points of the campaign.