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As the Benfica manager came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his players, local fans feared a difficult match. However those fears disappeared due to a strike from the winger and two more from substitute Harvey Barnes, making sure Benfica's new manager would not cause pain for Howe's team.

Game Flow and Initial Action

The Benfica boss had forecast that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their similar aggressive style. The visitors clearly enjoyed breaking up Newcastle's initial efforts to build a fluent passing rhythm.

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

Prior to kick-off, the two managers exchanged a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it quickly became apparent that Mourinho had instructed his side to subdue the crowd by delaying Newcastle and reducing the temperature whenever possible.

Critical Moments and Decisive Actions

Benfica's strategy produced mixed results, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to break through Benfica's backline, they initially found it hard to generate good chances.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after beating the defender behind, he tested Nick Pope with a tremendous strike that required an excellent one-handed save. No wonder Pope retains hope for an England return in time for the global tournament.

Yet when Lukebakio directed another shot off the woodwork, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy shot wide, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon at last broke the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching pace had created problems for Mourinho all night, and he neatly slotted the first goal past Trubin after his teammate's early cross into the area proved effective.

On the occasion Newcastle's hard, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was available to pass a ground cross across the goal for Gordon to polish off.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's players attacked with real freedom. The winger consistently showed an ability to unsettle Howe's defense, and the Magpies were probably grateful to reset at the break.

The opening period concluded with the keeper once more saving his team by diverting Lukebakio's left-foot wide of the post, and as the teams came out for the second half, the match seemed finely poised.

If Anthony Gordon, clearly buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League games this campaign, played with the determination of a winger set to alter the power balance in his team's favor, the Benfica attacker had different ideas.

The manager's winger had previously shown that, while Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a natural left-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio advanced.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not directed a corner over the crossbar from a well-placed spot. Instead, this thrilling game continued to move from end to end, prompting the manager to bring on the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

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

Harvey Barnes Seals the Game

Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had done a good job in restricting Woltemade's room and forcing the Germany striker back. But now, with right-back Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the path was clear for Barnes to prove that Gordon is not Howe's only attacking wide player.

The home side's double substitution was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful long throw in Barnes's direction. When Antonio Silva, for once, misjudged the flight, Barnes was away, accelerating into the area before maintaining impressive composure to lash a superb strike past Trubin.

When Harvey Barnes rolled a low effort through unfortunate Trubin's legs after meeting Gordon's stellar pass, it was all over. Mourinho had warned that Newcastle have several very fast wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had shattered his chances of earning Benfica's first European result of the campaign.