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As Jose Mourinho came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, home fans were concerned about a tough game. But those worries vanished due to a goal from the winger and two more from replacement Harvey Barnes, making sure Benfica's new manager did not inflict any trouble for Newcastle.

Game Flow and Early Exchanges

Mourinho had forecast that Newcastle would be very physical, but his Benfica players displayed their own combative style. Benfica clearly delighted in breaking up Newcastle's early attempts to build a smooth passing tempo.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, key players, Tonali and Joelinton, began as substitutes as they continued recovering from sickness and a knock respectively.

Prior to the start, the two managers shared a brief, cool greeting, and it quickly became clear that Mourinho had told his side to subdue the home fans by slowing Newcastle and reducing the temperature whenever possible.

Critical Events and Decisive Actions

The visitors' strategy produced mixed results, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle the defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to create clear chances.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous strike that required an excellent one-handed save. No wonder Pope retains hope for an national team return in time for the World Cup.

Yet when Lukebakio directed another shot against the woodwork, the home side roused themselves. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent close-range save from Guimaraes before Gordon at last broke the scoreless tie.

The England winger's blazing pace had created problems for Mourinho all night, and he neatly side-footed the opener past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early cross into the box proved effective.

On the occasion the Magpies' intense, high press was not anticipated by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to deliver a low cross across the face of goal for Gordon to polish off.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's players pushed forward with total abandon. Lukebakio consistently displayed an skill to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the home team were likely grateful to reset at the break.

The opening period ended with the keeper again rescuing his side by diverting the attacker's left-foot around the goal frame, and as the teams came out for the next period, everything seemed finely poised.

While Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League appearances this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger set to shift the power balance in his team's direction, Lukebakio had other ideas.

Mourinho's No 11 had previously shown that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born left-back, and home fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio advanced.

Howe might have relaxed had Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a corner over the bar from a well-placed position. Instead, this thrilling game continued to move from end to end, persuading the manager to bring on the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, at the same time, threw on an extra striker in Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a risk too far.

Barnes Wins the Game

Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portugal defender Silva, had performed a fine job in restricting Woltemade's space and forcing Newcastle's German centre-forward back. However, with right-back Dedic substituted, the defense was underpowered, and the way was clear for Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking wide player.

The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a superb throw in the substitute's direction. When Silva, for once, misread the flight, Barnes was away, accelerating into the area before keeping impressive poise to lash a superb shot past the keeper.

After Barnes rolled a low effort through unfortunate the goalkeeper's legs after receiving Gordon's excellent through ball, it was all over. The Benfica manager had warned that Newcastle have four quick wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had shattered his hopes of earning Benfica's first European result of the season.