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When the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, home fans feared a difficult match. But those worries vanished due to a goal from the winger and two more from substitute the forward, ensuring the visitors' coach would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.

Game Dynamics and Initial Action

Mourinho had predicted that Newcastle would be very physical, but his own team showed their similar aggressive style. Benfica clearly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's early attempts to establish a smooth attacking rhythm.

Adding to Newcastle's issues, key midfielders, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, began on the bench as they continued recovering from illness and a knock each.

Prior to kick-off, the two managers shared a perfunctory, cool embrace, and it soon became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his team to quiet the crowd by slowing the game and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Key Events and Turning Points

The visitors' tactic produced varied results, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to break through the backline, they initially struggled to generate clear opportunities.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgian attacker Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating the defender on the ground, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that got an terrific one-handed save. No wonder Pope still hopes for an national team recall in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger hit another shot against the post, the home side woke up. Murphy shot off target, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent close-range stop from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally opened the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching pace had created consternation for Mourinho all night, and he calmly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early cross into the area paid off.

When Newcastle's intense, pressing game was not anticipated by Benfica, Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to pass a ground cross across the face of goal for Gordon to finish.

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 Mourinho's players attacked with total freedom. The winger repeatedly displayed an ability to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the home team were likely grateful to regroup at the break.

The opening period concluded with Pope once more saving his side by tipping Lukebakio's shot wide of the post, and as the sides came out for the next period, the match seemed finely poised.

If Gordon, clearly boosted by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this season, played with the zeal of a wide player set to alter the balance in Newcastle's direction, Lukebakio had other ideas.

The manager's No 11 had previously shown that, while Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a natural full-back, and home fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio moved forward.

Howe might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner over the crossbar from a good spot. Rather, this thrilling game continued to swing from one goal to the other, persuading Newcastle's coach to introduce Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

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

Barnes Wins the Game

Until then, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese back Silva, had performed a fine job in limiting Nick Woltemade's space and forcing the German centre-forward deep. But now, with defender Amar Dedic off, the backline was weakened, and the path was clear for Barnes to prove that Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring winger.

Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a wonderful throw in the substitute's direction. When Silva, for once, misread the flight, the winger was away, accelerating into the area before keeping impressive composure to fire a sublime shot past the keeper.

When Barnes rolled a shot through poor Trubin's feet after meeting Anthony Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. The Benfica manager had cautioned that Newcastle have several very fast wide attackers, and three goals from two wide men had destroyed his hopes of earning Benfica's first European result of the campaign.