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When Jose Mourinho arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, local fans feared a tough match. However such fears disappeared due to a goal from Anthony Gordon and two more from substitute Harvey Barnes, making sure the visitors' new manager did not inflict pain for Howe's team.

Match Dynamics and Initial Action

The Benfica boss had forecast that Newcastle would be very physical, but his own team showed their own combative style. Benfica certainly enjoyed breaking up the Magpies' early efforts to build a smooth passing rhythm.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, key players, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they were convalescing from sickness and a knock respectively.

Prior to the start, the two managers shared a perfunctory, cool greeting, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his team to quiet the crowd by slowing Newcastle and reducing the intensity at every chance.

Critical Events and Turning Points

Benfica's tactic produced varied results, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to break through Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to create clear opportunities.

Moreover, the Belgium attacker Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn behind, he tested Nick Pope with a powerful shot that got an excellent single-hand save. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team recall in time for the World Cup.

Yet when Lukebakio hit a further shot off the woodwork, Newcastle roused themselves. Murphy shot off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range save from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally opened the deadlock.

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

When the Magpies' hard, high press was not anticipated by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to deliver a ground ball across the goal for Gordon to polish off.

Second Half and Match-Winning Changes

From the beginning, Benfica could not be accused of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now their side pushed forward with total abandon. The winger repeatedly showed an skill to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the home team were probably grateful to regroup at half-time.

The opening period ended with the keeper again saving his team by tipping the attacker's shot wide of the goal frame, and as the teams came out for the next period, everything seemed finely poised.

While Anthony Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three European games this campaign, played with the determination of a winger set to shift the balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had different plans.

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

Howe might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner above the bar from a good spot. Instead, this thrilling game continued to move from one goal to the other, prompting the manager to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, threw on an additional forward in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk too far.

Barnes Wins the Match

Until then, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese defender Antonio Silva, had performed a good job in limiting Nick Woltemade's space and pushing the Germany centre-forward deep. However, with right-back Amar Dedic off, the backline was underpowered, and the way was open for Harvey Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring wide player.

The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a superb throw in Barnes's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misjudged the flight, the winger was clear, accelerating into the area before maintaining impressive poise to fire a sublime shot past Trubin.

When Barnes rolled a low effort through unfortunate Trubin's feet after receiving Anthony Gordon's stellar pass, it was finished. Mourinho had warned that the Magpies have several quick wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had destroyed his hopes of securing Benfica's first European points of the campaign.