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When Jose Mourinho arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Newcastle's coach and his squad, local fans were concerned about a tough game. However such fears vanished due to a goal from Anthony Gordon and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring the visitors' new manager did not inflict pain for Howe's team.

Match Flow and Initial Exchanges

The Benfica boss had forecast that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their own combative style. The visitors clearly enjoyed breaking up the Magpies' initial attempts to build a fluent passing tempo.

Compounding the home team's issues, key midfielders, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, started as substitutes as they continued convalescing from sickness and a knock each.

Prior to the start, the coaches exchanged a brief, reserved greeting, and it soon became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his team to subdue the crowd by delaying Newcastle and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Critical Events and Turning Points

The visitors' strategy yielded mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to dismantle Benfica's backline, they initially struggled to create good opportunities.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgium winger Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating the defender on the ground, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that required an terrific one-handed stop. It's no surprise Pope retains hope for an national team recall in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger directed a further shot against the woodwork, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy shot off target, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive close-range stop from Guimaraes before Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

Gordon's blazing pace had caused consternation for Mourinho all evening, and he neatly slotted the first goal past Trubin after Murphy's quick ball into the box proved effective.

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

Second Half and Decisive Substitutions

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now their side pushed forward with total freedom. The winger consistently displayed an skill to destabilize Howe's defense, and the Magpies were likely grateful to regroup at half-time.

The opening period concluded with Pope once more saving his side by diverting Lukebakio's left-foot wide of the goal frame, and as the sides emerged for the next period, everything seemed evenly poised.

If Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth goal in three European appearances this season, played with the determination of a wide player set to alter the power balance in Newcastle's direction, Lukebakio had different plans.

Mourinho's No 11 had previously emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a born full-back, and Newcastle hearts were nervous every time Lukebakio moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Miley, deputising for Tonali, not headed a set-piece above the bar from a well-placed spot. Instead, this absorbing game continued to move from one goal to the other, prompting the manager to bring on Joelinton and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

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

Harvey Barnes Seals the Game

Until then, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese back Silva, had done a fine job in restricting Nick Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's German centre-forward back. However, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the defense was underpowered, and the path was open for Harvey Barnes to show that Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring winger.

The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper sent a wonderful long throw in the substitute's path. When Silva, on this occasion, misread the flight, the winger was clear, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining commendable poise to fire a superb shot past the keeper.

When Barnes rolled a shot through poor Trubin's legs after meeting Gordon's excellent through ball, it was all over. Mourinho had warned that Newcastle have four quick wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had destroyed his hopes of securing the team's first European result of the season.