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When the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and complimented Newcastle's coach and his squad, local supporters feared a tough game. However such fears disappeared due to a goal from the winger and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring Benfica's new manager did not inflict pain for Newcastle.

Game Flow and Early Exchanges

Mourinho had forecast that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their similar combative style. Benfica certainly enjoyed disrupting the Magpies' initial attempts to build a fluent passing tempo.

Adding to the home team's challenges, two midfielders, Tonali and the Brazilian, started on the bench as they continued convalescing from sickness and injury each.

Before kick-off, the coaches shared a perfunctory, cool embrace, and it quickly became clear that the Benfica coach had instructed his side to quiet the crowd by delaying the game and lowering the temperature whenever possible.

Key Moments and Decisive Actions

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

Additionally, Benfica's Belgian winger Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving the defender on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous strike that got an terrific one-handed save. No wonder Pope still hopes for an national team return in time for the World Cup.

But when Lukebakio directed another shot off the post, Newcastle woke up. Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive near-post stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching speed had created problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he calmly side-footed the opener past Trubin after Murphy's quick ball into the area proved effective.

When Newcastle's intense, high press was not second-guessed by Benfica, Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was there to deliver a ground cross across the face of goal for Gordon to polish off.

Later Stages and Decisive Substitutions

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now their side attacked with real abandon. Lukebakio repeatedly displayed an ability to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the Magpies were probably grateful to regroup at the break.

The opening period concluded with the keeper once more rescuing his team by diverting the attacker's shot around the goal frame, and as the teams emerged for the next period, the match seemed finely balanced.

While Anthony Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth strike in three European games this season, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to alter the power balance in Newcastle's favor, the Benfica attacker had different plans.

The manager's No 11 had previously emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a born full-back, and home hearts were in mouths every time he moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, deputising for Tonali, not headed a corner over the bar from a good spot. Rather, this thrilling game continued to swing from one goal to the other, persuading Newcastle's manager 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 perhaps prove a risk that backfired.

Barnes Wins the Match

Until then, the away team, and in particular their Portugal defender Silva, had done a good job in restricting Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's Germany striker deep. However, with right-back Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the path was clear for Harvey Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking wide player.

Newcastle's two changes was already proving effective by the time Pope sent a superb throw in the substitute's path. When Silva, for once, misread the bounce, Barnes was clear, accelerating into the penalty box before keeping impressive poise to lash a superb shot past Trubin.

When Harvey Barnes slid a low effort through unfortunate the goalkeeper's feet after receiving Anthony Gordon's excellent pass, it was finished. Mourinho had cautioned that Newcastle have several very fast wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wingers had destroyed his chances of securing the team's first Champions League result of the season.