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As the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and complimented Newcastle's coach and his squad, home fans were concerned about a tough game. However such worries disappeared due to a goal from Anthony Gordon and two more from substitute Harvey Barnes, making sure the visitors' coach did not inflict pain for Howe's team.

Match Dynamics and Initial Exchanges

Mourinho had predicted that Newcastle would be very physical, but his own team showed their own aggressive approach. The visitors certainly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's initial attempts to establish a smooth passing rhythm.

Compounding Newcastle's issues, key midfielders, Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they continued recovering from sickness and injury each.

Before kick-off, the two managers shared a brief, reserved greeting, and it soon became clear that the Benfica coach had instructed his team to quiet the home fans by delaying the game and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Critical Moments and Decisive Actions

The visitors' strategy produced mixed outcomes, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle Benfica's backline, they initially struggled to generate good opportunities.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgian winger Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after beating the defender on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful strike that required an excellent one-handed stop. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team return in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger directed a further attempt against the post, Newcastle woke up. Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the scoreless tie.

The England winger's scorching speed had created consternation for Mourinho all evening, and he neatly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early ball into the area proved effective.

When the Magpies' hard, high press was not second-guessed by Benfica, Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was there to deliver a ground ball across the face of goal for Gordon to finish.

Second Half and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's players attacked with real freedom. Lukebakio repeatedly displayed an skill to unsettle Howe's back four, and the home team were probably relieved to reset at the break.

The opening period concluded with the keeper once more rescuing his team by tipping the attacker's shot wide of the post, and as the teams came out for the second half, everything seemed evenly balanced.

While Anthony Gordon, evidently boosted by scoring his fourth goal in three Champions League games this campaign, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to alter the balance in Newcastle's direction, the Benfica attacker had other plans.

The manager's No 11 had already shown that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born full-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time he moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, deputising for Tonali, not headed a set-piece over the bar from a good position. Instead, this absorbing contest continued to move from end to end, persuading Newcastle's manager to bring on Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, at the same time, brought on an extra striker in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk that backfired.

Barnes Seals the Game

Until then, the away team, and in particular their Portugal defender Antonio Silva, had performed a fine job in restricting Woltemade's room and forcing Newcastle's Germany striker back. But now, with right-back Amar Dedic off, the backline was weakened, and the path was open for Barnes to show that Gordon is not the manager's only attacking winger.

Newcastle's double substitution was already proving effective by the time Pope sent a superb long throw in the substitute's direction. When Silva, for once, misread the flight, the winger was away, accelerating into the area before maintaining commendable poise to lash a sublime shot past the keeper.

When Barnes slid a low effort through unfortunate Trubin's legs after meeting Anthony Gordon's stellar through ball, it was finished. The Benfica manager had cautioned that Newcastle have several very fast wide attackers, and three goals from a pair of wide men had shattered his chances of earning the team's first European result of the campaign.