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When the Benfica manager came at St James' Park and complimented Eddie Howe and his players, home supporters were concerned about a tough match. However those fears disappeared due to a goal from Anthony Gordon and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring Benfica's new manager would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.

Match Dynamics and Early Action

The Benfica boss had predicted that the home side would be very physical, but his own team displayed their own combative style. Benfica certainly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's early attempts to build a smooth attacking rhythm.

Compounding the home team's issues, key midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, started on the bench as they were convalescing from sickness and injury respectively.

Before the start, the two managers exchanged a perfunctory, cool greeting, and it quickly became apparent that Mourinho had instructed his team to quiet the home fans by delaying the game and reducing the intensity at every chance.

Key Moments and Turning Points

Benfica's strategy yielded varied results, but when Gordon and his teammates succeeded to dismantle Benfica's backline, they initially struggled to create good chances.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgian winger Dodi Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn on the ground, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous strike that got an terrific one-handed stop. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team recall in time for the global tournament.

Yet when the winger directed another shot off the post, the home side woke up. Murphy shot wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive near-post save from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching speed had caused problems for Mourinho all evening, and he neatly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early ball into the area proved effective.

When the Magpies' intense, high press was not anticipated by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was available to deliver a ground ball across the goal for the winger to finish.

Second Half and Decisive Substitutions

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their players attacked with total abandon. The winger repeatedly showed an ability to destabilize Howe's defense, and the Magpies were likely grateful to reset at half-time.

The first half concluded with Pope again saving his side by tipping Lukebakio's shot around the post, and as the sides emerged for the second half, the match seemed evenly poised.

While Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three European appearances this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger set to alter the balance in Newcastle's favor, the Benfica attacker had different ideas.

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

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Miley, deputising for Tonali, not directed a set-piece above the crossbar from a well-placed spot. Instead, this thrilling game continued to move from end to end, prompting the coach to bring on Joelinton and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

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

Harvey Barnes Seals the Match

Before that, the away team, and especially their Portugal defender Silva, had done a fine job in limiting Nick Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's Germany striker deep. But now, with defender Dedic substituted, the defense was underpowered, and the way was open for Harvey Barnes to show that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.

The home side's double substitution was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper sent a wonderful throw in Barnes's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misread the flight, the winger was away, accelerating into the penalty box before maintaining impressive poise to lash a superb strike past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes slid a shot through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's stellar pass, it was all over. Mourinho had warned that the Magpies have four very fast wide attackers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had destroyed his hopes of earning Benfica's first European points of the season.