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When the Benfica manager came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, home supporters feared a tough game. However such fears vanished due to a goal from the winger and two more from replacement the forward, making sure Benfica's new manager would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.

Game Dynamics and Early Action

Mourinho had forecast that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players showed their own combative style. The visitors certainly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's early efforts to build a fluent attacking tempo.

Compounding Newcastle's challenges, key players, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, started on the bench as they were recovering from sickness and injury each.

Prior to the start, the coaches exchanged a perfunctory, cool greeting, and it quickly became clear that Mourinho had instructed his team to quiet the home fans by slowing Newcastle and lowering the temperature whenever possible.

Critical Moments and Decisive Actions

The visitors' strategy produced varied outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to break through Benfica's backline, they initially found it hard to create clear chances.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgian attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after beating Dan Burn behind, he forced Nick Pope with a powerful shot that required an excellent single-hand save. No wonder the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team return in time for the global tournament.

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

The England winger's scorching pace had caused consternation for the Benfica coach all evening, and he neatly slotted the opener past Trubin after Murphy's quick cross into the box paid off.

On the occasion the Magpies' hard, high press was not second-guessed by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to deliver a low cross across the face of goal for the winger to finish.

Later Stages and Decisive Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be accused of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now their players attacked with total freedom. The winger consistently showed an skill to destabilize Howe's defense, and the home team were probably grateful to reset at the break.

The opening period concluded with Pope again rescuing his team by diverting Lukebakio's left-foot around the post, and as the sides emerged for the second half, everything seemed finely poised.

If Anthony Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth goal in three Champions League games this season, played with the determination of a winger set to alter the power balance in his team's favor, Lukebakio had different ideas.

Mourinho's winger had previously emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a born left-back, and home hearts were in mouths every time he advanced.

Howe might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, deputising for Tonali, not directed a set-piece above the crossbar from a good spot. Rather, this absorbing game continued to swing from end to end, prompting Newcastle's coach to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, at the same time, threw on an additional forward in Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a gamble too far.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Game

Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portugal back Antonio Silva, had done a good job in limiting Woltemade's room and pushing Newcastle's German centre-forward deep. But now, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was weakened, and the way was clear for Harvey Barnes to show that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.

The home side's two changes was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a superb long throw in the substitute's path. When Silva, for once, misjudged the flight, Barnes was away, accelerating into the penalty box before maintaining commendable composure to lash a sublime shot past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes rolled a low effort through unfortunate Trubin's legs after meeting Gordon's excellent pass, it was all over. Mourinho had warned that the Magpies have four quick wide attackers, and three goals from two wingers had destroyed his chances of earning the team's first Champions League result of the campaign.