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As Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, local fans were concerned about a difficult match. However those worries disappeared thanks to a strike from Anthony Gordon and two more from replacement Harvey Barnes, making sure the visitors' new manager did not inflict any trouble for Newcastle.

Match Flow and Early Exchanges

Mourinho had forecast that Newcastle would be very physical, but his Benfica players showed their similar aggressive approach. Benfica clearly enjoyed breaking up the Magpies' early attempts to build a smooth attacking rhythm.

Compounding Newcastle's challenges, two midfielders, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they continued recovering from sickness and a knock respectively.

Prior to kick-off, the coaches shared a brief, reserved greeting, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his team to quiet the crowd by delaying Newcastle and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Key Moments and Turning Points

The visitors' tactic yielded varied results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates managed to dismantle the defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to generate good chances.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgian winger Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated scoring skill when, after leaving Dan Burn on the ground, he tested Nick Pope with a tremendous shot that got an terrific one-handed save. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team recall in time for the global tournament.

Yet when Lukebakio hit another shot against the post, the home side roused themselves. Jacob Murphy fired off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent close-range save from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the scoreless tie.

Gordon's scorching speed had created consternation for the Benfica coach all evening, and he neatly side-footed the opener past Trubin after his teammate's quick cross into the area paid off.

On the occasion Newcastle's intense, pressing game was not second-guessed by Benfica, Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was available to deliver a ground cross across the goal for the winger to finish.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's side pushed forward with total freedom. Lukebakio repeatedly showed an skill to destabilize Newcastle's back four, and the home team were likely relieved to regroup at half-time.

The opening period concluded with Pope once more saving his team by diverting Lukebakio's left-foot wide of the post, and as the teams emerged for the second half, the match seemed evenly poised.

If Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three European games this campaign, played with the determination of a winger aiming to shift the balance in Newcastle's direction, the Benfica attacker had other plans.

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

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not directed a corner above the crossbar from a good position. Instead, this absorbing contest continued to move from end to end, persuading the manager to introduce Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

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

Barnes Seals the Match

Until then, the away team, and especially their Portuguese back Silva, had performed a good job in restricting Woltemade's room and pushing Newcastle's Germany striker deep. But now, with right-back Amar Dedic substituted, the defense was underpowered, and the way was open for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.

Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful long throw in the substitute's direction. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the bounce, the winger was away, sprinting into the area before keeping commendable composure to fire a superb shot past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes slid a low effort through unfortunate the goalkeeper's feet after receiving Anthony Gordon's stellar through ball, it was finished. The Benfica manager had cautioned that the Magpies have several quick wide attackers, and three goals from two wide men had shattered his hopes of earning Benfica's first Champions League result of the season.