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As Jose Mourinho came at Newcastle's stadium and complimented Eddie Howe and his players, local supporters were concerned about a tough match. But those fears disappeared due to a goal from Anthony Gordon and two more from replacement the forward, ensuring the visitors' coach did not inflict pain for Howe's team.

Match Dynamics and Initial Action

Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players showed their similar aggressive style. The visitors certainly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's early attempts to build a fluent passing tempo.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, key midfielders, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they were recovering from sickness and injury respectively.

Prior to kick-off, the coaches shared a perfunctory, cool embrace, and it soon became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his team to subdue the home fans by slowing Newcastle and lowering the temperature whenever possible.

Critical Events and Turning Points

Benfica's strategy produced mixed results, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle Benfica's backline, they at first found it hard to create good chances.

Additionally, the Belgian attacker Lukebakio almost showed scoring skill when, after leaving Dan Burn behind, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous shot that required an excellent single-hand stop. No wonder the goalkeeper retains hope for an England recall in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger hit another shot against the post, Newcastle woke up. Murphy shot wide, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent close-range save from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last opened the deadlock.

The England winger's blazing pace had created problems for Mourinho all evening, and he calmly slotted the first goal past the goalkeeper after his teammate's early cross into the area paid off.

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

Second Half and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's players pushed forward with total freedom. Lukebakio consistently showed an skill to destabilize Newcastle's back four, and the home team were probably grateful to regroup at the break.

The opening period ended with the keeper again saving his side by diverting the attacker's shot around the post, and as the teams came out for the second half, the match seemed evenly poised.

If Gordon, evidently boosted by scoring his fourth strike in three European games this season, played with the determination of a winger set to shift the power balance in Newcastle's favor, the Benfica attacker had other ideas.

The manager's winger had already shown that, while Dan Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a natural full-back, and Newcastle fans were nervous every time he advanced.

Howe might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner over the bar from a good spot. Instead, this absorbing contest continued to swing from end to end, prompting Newcastle's coach to introduce the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, at the same time, threw on an additional striker in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk that backfired.

Barnes Wins the Game

Until then, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had done a fine job in restricting Nick Woltemade's room and forcing Newcastle's German centre-forward back. However, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was weakened, and the path was clear for Harvey Barnes to show that Gordon is not the manager's only attacking wide player.

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 Silva, for once, misjudged the bounce, Barnes was away, accelerating into the area before maintaining commendable composure to lash a sublime strike past the keeper.

After Barnes rolled a shot through poor Trubin's legs after receiving Gordon's excellent pass, it was finished. Mourinho had cautioned that the Magpies have four very fast wide attackers, and three goals from two wingers had shattered his hopes of earning the team's first European result of the season.