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When Jose Mourinho came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, home fans were concerned about a tough game. However such fears disappeared thanks to a strike from Anthony Gordon and a brace from substitute Harvey Barnes, ensuring the visitors' coach did not inflict pain for Howe's team.

Game Dynamics and Initial Action

The Benfica boss had predicted that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their similar aggressive style. Benfica clearly delighted in breaking up the Magpies' early efforts to build a smooth passing rhythm.

Compounding the home team's issues, two players, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they were convalescing from sickness and a knock respectively.

Before kick-off, the coaches shared a brief, cool embrace, and it quickly became apparent that Mourinho had told his side to quiet the home fans by delaying the game and reducing the intensity at every chance.

Key Moments and Decisive Actions

The visitors' tactic yielded varied results, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they initially found it hard to create good chances.

Additionally, the Belgian winger Dodi Lukebakio almost showed scoring skill when, after leaving Dan Burn behind, he forced Nick Pope with a tremendous shot that got an excellent one-handed stop. It's no surprise Pope retains hope for an England recall in time for the World Cup.

But when the winger directed another attempt against the woodwork, the home side roused themselves. Jacob Murphy shot wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent close-range stop from Guimaraes before Gordon at last broke the deadlock.

The England winger's scorching pace had caused consternation for the Benfica coach all evening, and he neatly slotted the first goal past Trubin after Murphy's early ball into the area paid off.

On the occasion Newcastle's hard, high press was not second-guessed by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to pass a ground ball across the face of goal for the winger to finish.

Later Stages and Decisive Changes

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now their players pushed forward with total abandon. The winger repeatedly displayed an ability to unsettle Newcastle's defense, and the Magpies were likely relieved to regroup at half-time.

The opening period concluded with the keeper once more saving his side by diverting Lukebakio's left-foot wide of the post, and as the teams emerged for the second half, everything seemed finely balanced.

While Gordon, clearly boosted by netting his fourth strike in three European appearances this season, played with the determination of a winger set to alter the balance in Newcastle's favor, Lukebakio had other ideas.

Mourinho's winger had already emphasized that, while Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a natural left-back, and Newcastle fans were nervous every time he moved forward.

Howe might have felt easier had Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a corner over the crossbar from a well-placed position. Instead, this absorbing contest continued to move from end to end, prompting Newcastle's manager to bring on Joelinton and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, threw on an extra striker in Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a gamble too far.

Harvey Barnes Wins the Match

Until then, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese defender Silva, had performed a fine job in limiting Nick Woltemade's room and pushing the Germany striker back. However, with defender Amar Dedic off, the backline was underpowered, and the way was open for Barnes to show that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.

Newcastle's double substitution was already proving effective by the time Pope sent a wonderful long throw in Barnes's path. When Silva, for once, misjudged the bounce, Barnes was away, sprinting into the area before keeping commendable poise to lash a superb shot past the keeper.

After Harvey Barnes slid a shot through unfortunate the goalkeeper's legs after receiving Anthony Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. Mourinho had cautioned that the Magpies have four very fast wide attackers, and three goals from a pair of wide men had destroyed his chances of securing the team's first European points of the season.