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When Jose Mourinho arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his players, home supporters feared a difficult game. But such fears vanished thanks to a goal from Anthony Gordon and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, making sure Benfica's coach did not inflict pain for Howe's team.

Game Dynamics and Initial Exchanges

Mourinho had forecast that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their own aggressive style. The visitors clearly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's early attempts to build a fluent attacking tempo.

Compounding the home team's issues, two players, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, began as substitutes as they were recovering from illness and a knock each.

Prior to the start, the coaches exchanged a perfunctory, cool embrace, and it soon became clear that Mourinho had told his team to quiet the crowd by slowing the game and lowering the temperature at every chance.

Critical Moments and Decisive Actions

Benfica's strategy yielded mixed outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle Benfica's backline, they at first struggled to create good opportunities.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgian attacker Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating Dan Burn behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that got an terrific single-hand save. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team return in time for the global tournament.

But when Lukebakio hit another shot against the woodwork, the home side roused themselves. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range save from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon at last opened the deadlock.

The England winger's blazing pace had created consternation for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly slotted the first goal past Trubin after his teammate's early cross into the area paid off.

On the occasion Newcastle's intense, high press was not anticipated by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was there to pass a ground ball across the goal for the winger to finish.

Second Half and Match-Winning Changes

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now their side attacked with total abandon. Lukebakio consistently showed an skill to destabilize Newcastle's defense, and the home team were probably relieved to reset at half-time.

The first half concluded with the keeper once more rescuing his team by diverting Lukebakio's shot wide of the post, and as the teams emerged for the next period, everything seemed evenly balanced.

While Anthony Gordon, evidently boosted by netting his fourth goal in three European games this campaign, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to alter the power balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had different ideas.

The manager's No 11 had previously emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a born full-back, and Newcastle fans were nervous every time Lukebakio advanced.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a set-piece over the bar from a well-placed position. Instead, this thrilling game continued to move from end to end, persuading Newcastle's coach to introduce the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, brought on an additional striker in Franjo Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a risk too far.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Game

Until then, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese defender Silva, had done a good job in restricting Nick Woltemade's space and forcing the Germany striker back. But now, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the way was open for Barnes to prove that Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring winger.

Newcastle's double substitution was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a superb throw in the substitute's path. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the bounce, Barnes was away, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining impressive composure to lash a sublime strike past the keeper.

After Barnes rolled a shot through poor Trubin's feet after receiving Gordon's excellent pass, it was finished. The Benfica manager had cautioned that the Magpies have several very fast wingers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had shattered his chances of earning the team's first European result of the campaign.