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When the Benfica manager came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, local fans were concerned about a difficult match. However such fears vanished thanks to a goal from Anthony Gordon and a brace from substitute Harvey Barnes, making sure the visitors' new manager did not inflict pain for Howe's team.

Game Flow and Early Exchanges

The Benfica boss had forecast that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their similar aggressive approach. The visitors clearly delighted in breaking up the Magpies' early attempts to build a fluent passing rhythm.

Compounding Newcastle's challenges, two players, Tonali and the Brazilian, began as substitutes as they were recovering from sickness and a knock each.

Before the start, the coaches exchanged a brief, reserved embrace, and it soon became clear that the Benfica coach had told his side to quiet the home fans by slowing the game and reducing the temperature at every chance.

Critical Events and Turning Points

Benfica's tactic yielded mixed outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates managed to break through Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first struggled to generate clear chances.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgian winger Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating the defender behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous strike that required an excellent one-handed save. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an England recall in time for the World Cup.

But when the winger hit a further attempt off the woodwork, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent close-range save from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally opened the scoreless tie.

The England winger's blazing pace had created consternation for the Benfica coach all evening, and he calmly side-footed the opener past Trubin after his teammate's quick ball into the area proved effective.

When Newcastle's intense, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was there to pass a ground ball across the face of goal for the winger to finish.

Second Half and Decisive Substitutions

From the beginning, Benfica could not be accused of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's side attacked with total abandon. Lukebakio repeatedly displayed an skill to destabilize Howe's defense, and the Magpies were probably grateful to reset at half-time.

The first half ended with Pope again rescuing his side by tipping Lukebakio's shot wide of the post, and as the teams emerged for the second half, everything seemed evenly poised.

If Gordon, clearly boosted by netting his fourth strike in three European games this season, played with the zeal of a winger aiming to alter the power balance in his team's favor, Lukebakio had different plans.

The manager's winger had previously shown that, while Dan Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born full-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a set-piece over the crossbar from a well-placed spot. Rather, this absorbing contest continued to swing from one goal to the other, persuading Newcastle's manager to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, brought on an additional striker in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk too far.

Barnes Wins the Match

Before that, Benfica, and in particular their Portugal defender Antonio Silva, had done a good job in limiting Nick Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's Germany striker back. However, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the path was open for Barnes to show that Gordon is not the manager's only attacking wide player.

Newcastle's double substitution was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper sent a wonderful long throw in the substitute's path. When Silva, on this occasion, misread the bounce, Barnes was away, accelerating into the penalty box before keeping impressive composure to fire a superb strike past the keeper.

When Barnes slid a shot through unfortunate Trubin's legs after receiving Gordon's stellar pass, it was finished. Mourinho had warned that the Magpies have several very fast wingers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had shattered his hopes of earning the team's first European points of the season.