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When Jose Mourinho arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, home supporters were concerned about a difficult match. But those worries vanished thanks to a goal from Anthony Gordon and two more from substitute Harvey Barnes, making sure the visitors' coach did not inflict pain for Howe's team.

Game Dynamics and Early Action

Mourinho had forecast that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their similar aggressive approach. The visitors certainly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's initial attempts to establish a fluent attacking rhythm.

Adding to the home team's issues, key players, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they were recovering from illness and injury respectively.

Before the start, the two managers shared a brief, reserved embrace, and it quickly became clear that Mourinho had told his side to subdue the home fans by slowing Newcastle and lowering the temperature at every chance.

Critical Moments and Decisive Actions

Benfica's strategy produced varied outcomes, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to break through Benfica's backline, they initially found it hard to create clear opportunities.

Additionally, the Belgium winger Dodi Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after beating the defender behind, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous strike that required an terrific one-handed stop. No wonder Pope retains hope for an national team return in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger hit another attempt off the post, the home side roused themselves. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive near-post stop from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last opened the deadlock.

The England winger's scorching speed had created problems for the Benfica coach all evening, and he neatly slotted 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 Benfica, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was available to deliver a ground ball across the goal for Gordon to polish off.

Later Stages and Decisive Substitutions

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their players attacked with real abandon. The winger consistently showed an ability to unsettle Howe's defense, and the home team were probably grateful to regroup at the break.

The opening period ended with the keeper again rescuing his team by tipping the attacker's shot wide of the post, and as the sides came out for the second half, the match seemed finely balanced.

If Anthony Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth goal in three Champions League games this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger set to shift the power balance in Newcastle's direction, Lukebakio had different ideas.

Mourinho's winger had already emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a born left-back, and home fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not headed a set-piece over the crossbar from a well-placed position. Rather, this absorbing contest continued to move from end to end, prompting the manager to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, threw on an extra forward in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a gamble that backfired.

Barnes Seals the Match

Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portugal defender Antonio Silva, had done a fine job in restricting Woltemade's room and pushing the Germany striker back. However, with right-back Dedic substituted, the backline was weakened, and the path was open for Harvey Barnes to prove that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.

Newcastle's double substitution was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a superb long throw in the substitute's path. When Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the flight, the winger was clear, accelerating into the penalty box before maintaining commendable composure to lash a sublime shot past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes rolled a shot through unfortunate the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's excellent pass, it was finished. The Benfica manager had cautioned that Newcastle have four quick wingers, and three goals from two wide men had destroyed his chances of securing Benfica's first European points of the season.