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As the Benfica manager came at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his squad, local supporters were concerned about a tough match. But those fears vanished due to a strike from Anthony Gordon and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, making sure the visitors' new manager would not cause pain for Newcastle.

Game Flow and Early Action

The Benfica boss had predicted that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their similar aggressive approach. Benfica clearly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's early attempts to build a smooth attacking tempo.

Adding to Newcastle's issues, key players, Tonali and Joelinton, began on the bench as they were convalescing from illness and a knock respectively.

Before the start, the two managers exchanged a perfunctory, cool greeting, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his side to quiet the crowd by slowing Newcastle and reducing the temperature at every chance.

Critical Events and Decisive Actions

Benfica's tactic produced varied results, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle the defensive barricades, they initially struggled to generate good opportunities.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgian winger Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating Dan Burn on the ground, he tested Nick Pope with a powerful shot that required an excellent one-handed save. It's no surprise Pope retains hope for an England return in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger hit a further shot off the woodwork, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy shot wide, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent near-post save from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon at last opened the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching speed had created consternation for Mourinho all evening, and he calmly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's early ball into the area paid off.

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

Second Half and Decisive Substitutions

From the beginning, Benfica could not be accused of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their side pushed forward with real abandon. Lukebakio consistently showed an ability to unsettle Newcastle's defense, and the Magpies were likely grateful to regroup at half-time.

The first half ended with the keeper again rescuing his side by tipping the attacker's left-foot wide of the goal frame, and as the teams emerged for the next period, everything seemed evenly balanced.

If Anthony Gordon, evidently boosted by scoring his fourth strike in three European games this season, played with the determination of a winger aiming to shift the power balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had different ideas.

Mourinho's winger had already shown that, while Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a born full-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, deputising for Tonali, not directed a corner over the bar from a good position. Rather, this absorbing game continued to move from end to end, prompting Newcastle's coach to bring on the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

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

Harvey Barnes Seals the Match

Before that, Benfica, and especially their Portugal defender Antonio Silva, had done a good job in limiting Woltemade's space and pushing the German striker back. But now, with right-back Dedic off, the backline was weakened, and the way was clear for Harvey Barnes to prove that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.

The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful throw in the substitute's direction. When Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the bounce, the winger was away, accelerating into the penalty box before keeping impressive poise to lash a sublime shot past the keeper.

After Harvey Barnes rolled a shot through poor Trubin's feet after receiving Gordon's stellar pass, it was all over. The Benfica manager had cautioned that the Magpies have four quick wingers, and three goals from two wingers had destroyed his chances of earning Benfica's first European result of the campaign.