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As Jose Mourinho arrived at Newcastle's stadium and complimented Newcastle's coach and his squad, home fans were concerned about a tough game. However those worries disappeared due to a goal from the winger and a brace from substitute Harvey Barnes, making sure Benfica's new manager would not cause pain for Newcastle.

Match Dynamics and Initial Action

Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be very physical, but his own team showed their similar aggressive approach. The visitors clearly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's initial efforts to establish a smooth attacking rhythm.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, key players, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, started as substitutes as they continued recovering from illness and injury respectively.

Before the start, the coaches shared a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it soon became clear that Mourinho had instructed his side to subdue the crowd by slowing the game and reducing the intensity at every chance.

Critical Events and Decisive Actions

The visitors' strategy produced varied results, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they initially found it hard to create clear chances.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgian winger Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating Dan Burn on the ground, he tested Nick Pope with a tremendous strike that got an excellent one-handed stop. It's no surprise Pope still hopes for an England return in time for the World Cup.

But when the winger hit another shot against the woodwork, the home side roused themselves. Murphy shot off target, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last opened the scoreless tie.

The England winger's blazing pace had created consternation for the Benfica coach all night, and he calmly side-footed the first goal past Trubin after Murphy's quick cross into the area paid off.

On the occasion the Magpies' hard, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to pass a ground cross across the face of goal for Gordon to finish.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

From the beginning, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now their players attacked with total abandon. Lukebakio consistently displayed an ability to unsettle Howe's back four, and the Magpies were probably grateful to regroup at half-time.

The first half ended with the keeper again saving his team by diverting the attacker's shot wide of the post, and as the sides came out for the second half, everything seemed evenly poised.

While Anthony Gordon, clearly boosted by netting his fourth goal in three European games this season, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to shift the balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had other plans.

The manager's No 11 had previously shown that, while Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a natural left-back, and Newcastle hearts were nervous every time Lukebakio moved forward.

Howe might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, deputising for Tonali, not headed a corner above the bar from a good 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 Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, threw on an additional striker in Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a gamble too far.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Game

Until then, the away team, and especially their Portuguese defender Antonio Silva, had done a good job in restricting Nick Woltemade's room and forcing Newcastle's Germany centre-forward deep. However, with right-back Dedic off, the defense was weakened, and the way was open for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.

Newcastle's two changes was already proving effective by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful long throw in the substitute's path. When Silva, on this occasion, misread the bounce, Barnes was clear, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining impressive composure to fire a sublime strike past the keeper.

After Barnes rolled a shot through poor the goalkeeper's legs after meeting Anthony Gordon's excellent pass, it was all over. The Benfica manager had warned that the Magpies have several quick wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had destroyed his hopes of earning the team's first Champions League points of the season.