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When the Benfica manager came at St James' Park and complimented Eddie Howe and his squad, home supporters feared a difficult match. However those fears disappeared due to a strike from the winger and two more from substitute the forward, ensuring Benfica's new manager would not cause pain for Newcastle.

Match Dynamics and Initial Exchanges

Mourinho had forecast that Newcastle would be very physical, but his own team displayed their own combative approach. Benfica certainly enjoyed breaking up the Magpies' early efforts to establish a fluent attacking rhythm.

Compounding Newcastle's challenges, two midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, began on the bench as they continued convalescing from illness and a knock respectively.

Prior to kick-off, the two managers shared a brief, reserved embrace, and it soon became clear that Mourinho had told his side to subdue the crowd by slowing Newcastle and lowering the temperature whenever possible.

Critical Moments and Decisive Actions

Benfica's strategy yielded varied results, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle the defensive barricades, they initially struggled to create clear chances.

Moreover, the Belgian attacker Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating the defender behind, he tested Nick Pope with a powerful strike that required an terrific single-hand save. No wonder Pope still hopes for an national team recall in time for the World Cup.

Yet when Lukebakio hit another shot against the post, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy fired off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range save from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

The England winger's scorching pace had caused consternation for the Benfica coach all evening, and he neatly slotted the first goal past Trubin after his teammate's early ball into the area proved effective.

On the occasion Newcastle's hard, high press was not second-guessed by Benfica, Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was there to deliver a ground ball across the goal for Gordon to finish.

Second Half and Decisive Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be accused of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's players pushed forward with real abandon. Lukebakio consistently showed an ability to unsettle Howe's defense, and the home team were likely relieved to reset at half-time.

The opening period concluded with the keeper again saving his side by tipping the attacker's left-foot around the post, and as the teams emerged for the next period, everything seemed evenly poised.

If Gordon, clearly buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League games this season, played with the zeal of a wide player aiming to alter the balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had other ideas.

The manager's No 11 had already shown that, while Dan Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a natural full-back, and Newcastle hearts were nervous every time he advanced.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not directed a corner over the bar from a well-placed position. Instead, this thrilling contest continued to move from one goal to the other, persuading the manager to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, brought on an extra forward in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk too far.

Harvey Barnes Wins the Game

Before that, Benfica, and especially their Portugal back Antonio Silva, had done a fine job in restricting Nick Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's Germany centre-forward back. However, with defender Dedic off, the defense was weakened, and the path was clear for Harvey Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking wide player.

The home side's two changes was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a superb long throw in Barnes's direction. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the bounce, Barnes was away, accelerating into the area before maintaining impressive composure to fire a superb strike past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes slid a shot through unfortunate the goalkeeper's legs after meeting Gordon's excellent pass, it was all over. The Benfica manager had warned that the Magpies have four very fast wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had destroyed his hopes of securing the team's first Champions League points of the campaign.