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When the Benfica manager came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his players, local fans feared a tough match. However such worries vanished thanks to a goal from Anthony Gordon and a brace from substitute the forward, making sure Benfica's new manager did not inflict any trouble for Howe's team.

Match Flow and Initial Action

Mourinho had forecast that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his own team showed their own aggressive approach. Benfica clearly enjoyed breaking up the Magpies' early efforts to establish a fluent attacking tempo.

Compounding the home team's challenges, two players, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, began on the bench as they continued recovering from illness and injury each.

Prior to kick-off, the two managers exchanged a brief, cool embrace, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his side to subdue the home fans by slowing Newcastle and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Critical Events and Turning Points

Benfica's tactic yielded mixed outcomes, but when Gordon and his teammates managed to dismantle Benfica's backline, they at first struggled to generate good chances.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgium winger Lukebakio nearly showed scoring skill when, after beating Dan Burn on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous shot that required an terrific one-handed stop. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an England recall in time for the global tournament.

But when Lukebakio hit another shot against the post, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy shot wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range stop from Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the scoreless tie.

The England winger's blazing speed had created problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly side-footed the opener past Trubin after his teammate's quick cross into the area paid off.

When the Magpies' hard, high press was not anticipated by the opposition, Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to pass a ground cross across the face of goal for the winger to polish off.

Second Half and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now their side attacked with real freedom. The winger consistently displayed an skill to unsettle Howe's defense, and the home team were probably relieved to regroup at the break.

The opening period concluded with the keeper again saving his side by diverting the attacker's left-foot around the post, and as the sides emerged for the second half, everything seemed evenly poised.

While Anthony Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth strike in three Champions League games this campaign, played with the zeal of a wide player aiming to alter the power balance in Newcastle's favor, Lukebakio had other ideas.

The manager's No 11 had previously emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a natural left-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio moved forward.

Howe might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece above the crossbar from a good position. Rather, this thrilling contest continued to swing from end to end, persuading the manager to introduce the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, threw on an additional forward in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a gamble that backfired.

Barnes Wins the Match

Before that, the away team, and especially their Portugal defender Antonio Silva, had done a fine job in limiting Nick Woltemade's room and pushing Newcastle's German striker back. However, with right-back Dedic off, the backline was weakened, and the way was clear for Harvey Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only attacking winger.

Newcastle's two changes was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a wonderful long throw in Barnes's direction. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the bounce, the winger was away, accelerating into the area before keeping impressive composure to fire a sublime strike past Trubin.

When Harvey Barnes slid a shot through poor Trubin's legs after meeting Anthony Gordon's stellar through ball, it was finished. Mourinho had warned that Newcastle have several very fast wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wingers had shattered his chances of earning Benfica's first European points of the season.