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When the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and complimented Newcastle's coach and his squad, local fans were concerned about a difficult game. But such fears disappeared due to a strike from the winger and two more from substitute the forward, ensuring the visitors' new manager would not cause pain for Howe's team.

Game Dynamics and Initial Action

Mourinho had forecast that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his own team showed their own aggressive style. The visitors certainly enjoyed disrupting the Magpies' initial attempts to establish a fluent attacking rhythm.

Compounding Newcastle's issues, two midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they were convalescing from illness and injury each.

Before the start, the coaches exchanged a brief, reserved greeting, and it soon became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his team to subdue the crowd by slowing the game and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Key Events and Turning Points

The visitors' tactic yielded varied outcomes, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to break through the defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to generate clear opportunities.

Additionally, the Belgian attacker Dodi Lukebakio nearly showed scoring skill when, after beating the defender behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful strike that required an excellent one-handed stop. It's no surprise Pope still hopes for an England recall in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger directed another shot off the post, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive near-post stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally opened the deadlock.

The England winger's scorching speed had created problems for Mourinho all night, and he calmly side-footed the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's quick ball into the area paid off.

When the Magpies' intense, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was available to pass a ground cross across the face of goal for the winger to polish off.

Later Stages and Decisive Changes

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be accused of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now their side attacked with real abandon. Lukebakio repeatedly showed an skill to unsettle Howe's back four, and the home team were likely relieved to regroup at the break.

The first half ended with the keeper again rescuing his side by diverting the attacker's shot around the goal frame, and as the sides came out for the next period, the match seemed evenly balanced.

While Gordon, clearly buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three European appearances this campaign, played with the determination of a wide player set to shift the balance in his team's favor, the Benfica attacker had different plans.

The manager's No 11 had already shown that, while Burn is a capable 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 Miley, filling in for Tonali, not headed a corner above the bar from a well-placed position. Instead, this thrilling contest continued to swing from one goal to the other, prompting the manager to introduce Joelinton and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, at the same time, threw on an additional striker in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk too far.

Barnes Seals the Game

Before that, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese defender Antonio Silva, had performed a good job in restricting Nick Woltemade's room and pushing the Germany striker deep. But now, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the path was clear for Harvey Barnes to show that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.

The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper sent a wonderful long throw in the substitute's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misjudged the bounce, the winger was away, sprinting into the area before maintaining commendable composure to lash a superb shot past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes rolled a low effort through unfortunate the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's stellar pass, it was all over. Mourinho had warned that Newcastle have several very fast wingers, and three goals from two wingers had destroyed his hopes of earning the team's first European result of the campaign.