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When Jose Mourinho arrived at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, local fans were concerned about a tough game. But those worries disappeared thanks to a goal from Anthony Gordon and two more from substitute the forward, making sure the visitors' coach would not cause pain for Newcastle.

Match Flow and Initial Action

Mourinho had predicted that Newcastle would be very physical, but his own team displayed their similar aggressive style. Benfica clearly enjoyed breaking up Newcastle's initial efforts to establish a fluent attacking rhythm.

Adding to the home team's issues, key midfielders, Tonali and the Brazilian, began on the bench as they were convalescing from illness and a knock each.

Before kick-off, the two managers shared a brief, cool embrace, and it soon became clear that the Benfica coach had instructed his team to quiet the home fans by delaying the game and reducing the temperature whenever possible.

Key Events and Turning Points

The visitors' tactic yielded mixed outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates managed to break through the backline, they initially found it hard to generate clear chances.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgian winger Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after beating Dan Burn on the ground, he tested Nick Pope with a powerful strike that got an excellent single-hand stop. It's no surprise Pope retains hope for an England return in time for the World Cup.

But when the winger hit a further attempt off the post, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy shot off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent near-post save from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

Gordon's blazing pace had caused problems for Mourinho all evening, and he calmly side-footed the first goal past Trubin after his teammate's quick cross into the box paid off.

When Newcastle's hard, pressing game was not second-guessed by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was available to deliver a low ball across the face of goal for the winger to finish.

Later Stages and Decisive Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's side pushed forward with total freedom. The winger repeatedly displayed an ability to destabilize Howe's back four, and the Magpies were probably grateful to reset at half-time.

The first half concluded with Pope once more rescuing his side by tipping Lukebakio's shot around the post, and as the sides came out for the second half, the match seemed evenly balanced.

If Gordon, clearly boosted by netting his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger aiming to shift the power balance in his team's favor, Lukebakio had other ideas.

The manager's No 11 had already shown that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born left-back, and home hearts were nervous every time he advanced.

Howe might have felt easier had Miley, deputising for Tonali, not directed a corner over the bar from a good position. Rather, this absorbing contest continued to swing from one goal to the other, persuading Newcastle's coach to introduce Joelinton and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, at the same time, brought on an extra striker in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a gamble that backfired.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Match

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portuguese defender Silva, had performed a fine job in limiting Nick Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's Germany striker back. But now, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the path was open for Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking wide player.

Newcastle's double substitution was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a superb throw in Barnes's path. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the bounce, the winger was away, accelerating into the area before maintaining impressive poise to lash a sublime shot past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes rolled a shot through unfortunate Trubin's legs after receiving Anthony Gordon's stellar through ball, it was all over. Mourinho had warned that the Magpies have four very fast wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had shattered his chances of securing Benfica's first European result of the season.