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When Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and praised Eddie Howe and his players, local fans were concerned about a difficult game. But those fears disappeared thanks to a strike from Anthony Gordon and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, making sure the visitors' coach did not inflict pain for Howe's team.

Game Flow and Initial Action

The Benfica boss had predicted that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their similar combative style. The visitors certainly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's initial efforts to build a fluent attacking tempo.

Compounding Newcastle's challenges, two players, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, began as substitutes as they were convalescing from sickness and injury each.

Prior to the start, the two managers exchanged a perfunctory, cool greeting, and it soon became apparent that Mourinho had instructed his side to quiet the home fans by delaying the game and lowering the temperature at every chance.

Critical Events and Turning Points

The visitors' strategy yielded varied outcomes, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to dismantle the backline, they initially struggled to create clear chances.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgium winger Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after beating Dan Burn behind, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that required an excellent one-handed save. No wonder Pope retains hope for an England recall in time for the World Cup.

But when the winger hit a further attempt against the woodwork, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy shot off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent close-range stop from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last opened the scoreless tie.

Gordon's blazing speed had caused problems for Mourinho all night, and he neatly side-footed the opener past Trubin after Murphy's quick ball into the box proved effective.

On the occasion Newcastle's intense, pressing game was not second-guessed by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to pass a low ball across the face of goal for the winger to polish off.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

From the beginning, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now their players attacked with real freedom. The winger repeatedly showed an ability to destabilize Howe's defense, and the home team were likely grateful to regroup at half-time.

The first half ended with the keeper once more rescuing his side by tipping Lukebakio's left-foot around the post, and as the teams emerged for the next period, the match seemed evenly poised.

If Gordon, clearly boosted by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League games this campaign, played with the zeal of a wide player aiming to shift the balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had other plans.

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

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner above the bar from a good spot. Instead, this absorbing game continued to move from one goal to the other, prompting the coach to introduce Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

The Benfica boss, at the same time, brought on an additional forward in Franjo Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a gamble that backfired.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Match

Before that, Benfica, and especially their Portugal back Silva, had performed a good job in limiting Woltemade's space and forcing Newcastle's Germany striker back. But now, with defender Amar Dedic off, the backline was weakened, and the path was open for Harvey Barnes to prove that Gordon is not Howe's only attacking wide player.

The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope sent a wonderful long throw in the substitute's path. When Silva, for once, misread the bounce, Barnes was away, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining impressive composure to lash a superb strike past Trubin.

When Barnes slid a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's legs after meeting Anthony Gordon's stellar pass, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that the Magpies have several quick wide attackers, and three goals from two wide men had shattered his chances of securing Benfica's first European points of the season.