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As Jose Mourinho came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, local supporters were concerned about a tough match. However those fears vanished thanks to a goal from Anthony Gordon and a brace from replacement the forward, ensuring the visitors' new manager did not inflict any trouble for Howe's team.

Match Flow and Initial Action

The Benfica boss had predicted that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their own aggressive approach. The visitors clearly delighted in breaking up Newcastle's initial attempts to establish a fluent passing rhythm.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, key players, Tonali and the Brazilian, began as substitutes as they were recovering from illness and a knock each.

Prior to kick-off, the coaches exchanged a brief, cool greeting, and it soon became apparent that Mourinho had told his side to subdue the crowd by slowing Newcastle and reducing the intensity whenever possible.

Key Moments and Decisive Actions

The visitors' tactic yielded mixed outcomes, but when Gordon and his teammates managed to break through the backline, they initially struggled to create clear opportunities.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving the defender behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous strike that got an excellent one-handed stop. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team return in time for the global tournament.

But when Lukebakio directed a further shot off the post, the home side roused themselves. Jacob Murphy fired off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive near-post save from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the deadlock.

The England winger's scorching speed had created consternation for Mourinho all night, and he calmly side-footed the opener past Trubin after his teammate's quick ball into the area paid off.

When the Magpies' hard, high press was not anticipated by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to deliver a ground cross across the face of goal for Gordon to finish.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, 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. The winger consistently displayed an ability to destabilize Howe's defense, and the Magpies were likely relieved to reset at the break.

The opening period concluded with Pope again rescuing his side by diverting the attacker's left-foot around the post, and as the sides came out for the second half, the match seemed finely poised.

While Anthony Gordon, clearly boosted by scoring his fourth goal in three Champions League games this campaign, played with the zeal of a wide player aiming to alter the balance in his team's favor, the Benfica attacker had different ideas.

The manager's winger had previously shown that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a natural full-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time he moved forward.

Howe might have relaxed had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner above the crossbar from a well-placed position. Instead, this absorbing game continued to swing from one goal to the other, prompting Newcastle's manager to introduce Joelinton and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, brought on an extra striker in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a gamble too far.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Match

Before that, the away team, and especially their Portuguese defender Antonio Silva, had performed a good job in limiting Nick Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's Germany centre-forward back. However, with defender Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the path was open for Harvey Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking winger.

The home side's two changes was already proving effective by the time Pope sent a wonderful throw in Barnes's direction. When Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the flight, Barnes was clear, sprinting into the area before keeping impressive composure to lash a superb strike past Trubin.

When Barnes slid a low effort through poor Trubin's feet after receiving Gordon's excellent through ball, it was all over. The Benfica manager had warned that the Magpies have four very fast wingers, and three goals from a pair of wide men had shattered his hopes of earning the team's first European result of the campaign.