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As Jose Mourinho came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, local fans were concerned about a difficult game. However those fears disappeared thanks to a goal from the winger and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, making sure Benfica's new manager did not inflict any trouble for Newcastle.

Match Dynamics and Early Action

The Benfica boss had forecast that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their similar aggressive approach. Benfica clearly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's initial attempts to build a fluent passing tempo.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, key players, Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they were convalescing from illness and a knock each.

Prior to the start, the coaches exchanged a brief, cool embrace, and it soon became clear that Mourinho had told his team to subdue the home fans by slowing Newcastle and lowering the temperature at every chance.

Critical Moments and Turning Points

Benfica's tactic yielded mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates succeeded to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to generate clear chances.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgium attacker Lukebakio nearly demonstrated scoring skill when, after leaving Dan Burn behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that required an excellent single-hand save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an England return in time for the global tournament.

Yet when Lukebakio directed another attempt off the woodwork, the home side roused themselves. Jacob Murphy shot off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent near-post stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally opened the deadlock.

The England winger's blazing pace had caused consternation for Mourinho all night, and he calmly side-footed the first goal past Trubin after his teammate's early cross into the area proved effective.

On the occasion Newcastle's hard, high press was not second-guessed by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was available to deliver a ground ball across the face of goal for the winger to finish.

Second Half and Decisive Changes

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's players attacked with total abandon. Lukebakio repeatedly displayed an skill to unsettle Howe's back four, and the home team were likely relieved to reset at the break.

The first half ended with Pope again saving his side by diverting Lukebakio's shot around the goal frame, and as the teams emerged for the next period, everything seemed evenly balanced.

While Gordon, clearly buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three European games this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger set to shift the power balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had different plans.

Mourinho's No 11 had already shown that, while Dan Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a natural left-back, and Newcastle hearts were in mouths every time Lukebakio moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner above the crossbar from a good spot. Instead, this absorbing contest continued to swing from end to end, prompting the manager to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, brought on an extra forward in Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a risk too far.

Barnes Seals the Game

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portugal back Silva, had done a good job in limiting Woltemade's space and forcing the Germany centre-forward back. However, with right-back Amar Dedic off, the defense was underpowered, and the way was open for Harvey Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.

The home side's double substitution was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a superb throw in the substitute's path. When Silva, on this occasion, misread the flight, the winger was away, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining impressive composure to lash a sublime strike past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes slid a low effort through poor Trubin's feet after meeting Anthony Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. Mourinho had cautioned that Newcastle have several very fast wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had destroyed his chances of securing the team's first Champions League result of the season.