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When Jose Mourinho arrived at Newcastle's stadium and complimented Newcastle's coach and his squad, local fans were concerned about a difficult game. However those fears vanished due to a goal from the winger and two more from substitute Harvey Barnes, ensuring the visitors' coach did not inflict pain for Howe's team.

Game Flow and Initial Exchanges

The Benfica boss had forecast that the home side would be very physical, but his Benfica players showed their similar aggressive approach. The visitors clearly enjoyed breaking up Newcastle's initial efforts to build a fluent attacking rhythm.

Adding to the home team's challenges, two players, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, began as substitutes as they were recovering from illness and injury each.

Prior to the start, the two managers exchanged a brief, cool embrace, and it soon became clear that the Benfica coach had instructed his team to quiet the crowd by delaying Newcastle and reducing the intensity at every chance.

Critical Events and Decisive Actions

Benfica's strategy yielded varied outcomes, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they initially struggled to generate good opportunities.

Additionally, the Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated scoring skill when, after beating the defender behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that got an terrific one-handed stop. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team return in time for the global tournament.

Yet when Lukebakio hit another shot against the woodwork, Newcastle woke up. Murphy shot wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally opened the scoreless tie.

Gordon's blazing speed had created problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly side-footed the first goal past the goalkeeper after Murphy's quick cross into the area proved effective.

On the occasion Newcastle's intense, pressing game was not second-guessed by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was available to pass a ground cross across the face of goal for the winger to polish off.

Second Half and Decisive Changes

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's side attacked with total freedom. Lukebakio consistently showed an ability to unsettle Howe's back four, and the home team were probably grateful to reset at half-time.

The first half ended with Pope once more saving his side by diverting the attacker's left-foot around the goal frame, and as the teams emerged for the next period, everything seemed finely poised.

While Anthony Gordon, clearly boosted by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League games this season, played with the zeal of a winger set to shift the power balance in Newcastle's favor, the Benfica attacker had other ideas.

Mourinho's winger had previously shown that, while Dan Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born left-back, and Newcastle hearts were in mouths every time he moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a corner above the crossbar from a good spot. Instead, this absorbing game continued to swing from one goal to the other, prompting the manager to introduce Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, brought on an additional forward in Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a risk that backfired.

Barnes Seals the Game

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portuguese defender Antonio Silva, had done a good job in limiting Woltemade's space and forcing the German striker deep. However, with defender Dedic off, the backline was underpowered, and the way was clear for Harvey Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking wide player.

Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a superb throw in Barnes's path. When Silva, on this occasion, misread the flight, Barnes was away, accelerating into the penalty box before maintaining impressive poise to lash a superb shot past the keeper.

After Harvey Barnes slid a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's stellar pass, it was all over. The Benfica manager had cautioned that the Magpies have several very fast wingers, and three goals from two wingers had shattered his hopes of earning the team's first Champions League points of the campaign.