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When the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, local supporters feared a difficult game. But those worries vanished thanks to a strike from Anthony Gordon and two more from replacement the forward, ensuring the visitors' coach did not inflict any trouble for Howe's team.

Game Flow and Early Exchanges

The Benfica boss had predicted that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their similar aggressive style. Benfica clearly enjoyed breaking up the Magpies' initial attempts to establish a fluent attacking rhythm.

Adding to the home team's challenges, key players, Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they continued recovering from illness and injury each.

Before the start, the coaches exchanged a brief, cool greeting, and it soon became clear that the Benfica coach had told his team to subdue the crowd by delaying the game and lowering the temperature whenever possible.

Key Moments and Decisive Actions

Benfica's tactic yielded mixed outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates managed to break through the backline, they initially struggled to create clear chances.

Moreover, the Belgian winger Lukebakio almost showed scoring skill when, after leaving the defender on the ground, he tested Nick Pope with a tremendous shot that required an terrific one-handed stop. No wonder Pope retains hope for an England recall in time for the global tournament.

But when Lukebakio directed a further attempt off the woodwork, the home side woke up. Murphy shot off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive near-post stop from Guimaraes before Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

Gordon's blazing speed had caused problems for Mourinho all night, and he calmly slotted the opener past Trubin after his teammate's quick cross into the area paid off.

When the Magpies' intense, high press was not second-guessed by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was available to deliver a low ball across the face of goal for Gordon to polish off.

Second Half and Decisive Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's players pushed forward with real abandon. Lukebakio consistently showed an ability to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the Magpies were likely relieved to reset at the break.

The opening period ended with the keeper again saving his team by tipping Lukebakio's left-foot around the goal frame, and as the teams emerged for the next period, the match seemed finely balanced.

If Anthony Gordon, clearly buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three European appearances this season, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to alter the power balance in Newcastle's direction, Lukebakio had different plans.

The manager's winger had already emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a born left-back, and home fans were in mouths every time he advanced.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not directed a corner over the bar from a well-placed spot. Instead, this absorbing game continued to swing from end to end, prompting Newcastle's coach to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, at the same time, brought on an additional forward in Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a gamble too far.

Barnes Wins the Game

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portuguese back Silva, had done a fine job in limiting Nick Woltemade's room and pushing the German centre-forward back. But now, with defender Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the path was clear for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring winger.

The home side's double substitution was already paying off by the time Pope sent a superb long throw in Barnes's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misread the bounce, the winger was away, sprinting into the area before keeping commendable poise to lash a superb strike past Trubin.

After Harvey Barnes slid a shot through unfortunate the goalkeeper's legs after meeting Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. Mourinho had cautioned that Newcastle have several very fast wide attackers, and three goals from two wingers had destroyed his chances of earning the team's first Champions League points of the campaign.