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When Jose Mourinho arrived at St James' Park and complimented Newcastle's coach and his players, home fans feared a tough match. However those worries vanished due to a strike from Anthony Gordon and two more from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring Benfica's new manager did not inflict any trouble for Howe's team.

Game Flow and Initial Exchanges

Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be very physical, but his own team showed their similar aggressive approach. The visitors certainly delighted in disrupting the Magpies' initial attempts to establish a fluent passing tempo.

Adding to Newcastle's issues, key midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, began as substitutes as they were recovering from sickness and injury respectively.

Prior to the start, the coaches shared a perfunctory, cool embrace, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his team to subdue the crowd by delaying the game and reducing the intensity at every chance.

Critical Events and Turning Points

Benfica's strategy yielded mixed results, but when Gordon and his teammates managed to break through the defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to generate clear chances.

Additionally, the Belgium attacker Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn behind, he forced Nick Pope with a powerful shot that required an terrific single-hand save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team return in time for the World Cup.

But when the winger hit a further shot off the woodwork, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy fired off target, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent close-range save from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

The England winger's blazing pace had created problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he calmly slotted the first goal past the goalkeeper after Murphy's quick cross into the area proved effective.

When Newcastle's intense, pressing game was not second-guessed by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was available to pass a low ball across the goal for the winger to finish.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be accused of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's side attacked with real abandon. Lukebakio consistently displayed an skill to destabilize Newcastle's defense, and the home team were probably grateful to regroup at half-time.

The first half concluded with Pope again rescuing his team by diverting Lukebakio's shot wide of the goal frame, and as the teams came out for the second half, the match seemed finely poised.

If Anthony Gordon, clearly buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this season, played with the zeal of a winger set to shift the balance in Newcastle's direction, Lukebakio had different ideas.

The manager's winger had already shown that, while Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a natural left-back, and Newcastle fans were nervous every time he advanced.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Miley, deputising for Tonali, not headed a corner over the bar from a good spot. Rather, this absorbing contest continued to move from one goal to the other, prompting Newcastle's coach to introduce the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, at the same time, threw on an additional forward in Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a gamble that backfired.

Barnes Seals the Match

Until then, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had performed a fine job in restricting Nick Woltemade's room and forcing the Germany striker deep. But now, with defender Amar Dedic off, the defense was underpowered, and the path was clear for Barnes to prove that Gordon is not Howe's only attacking winger.

Newcastle's double substitution was already paying off by the time Pope sent a superb long throw in Barnes's direction. When Antonio Silva, for once, misjudged the flight, Barnes was away, sprinting into the area before maintaining commendable composure to lash a sublime strike past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes rolled a low effort through poor Trubin's feet after meeting Anthony Gordon's excellent through ball, it was all over. The Benfica manager had warned that Newcastle have four very fast wingers, and three goals from two wingers had destroyed his chances of earning Benfica's first Champions League points of the season.