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As the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his squad, home supporters were concerned about a difficult game. However those worries disappeared due to a strike from Anthony Gordon and a brace from replacement the forward, making sure the visitors' new manager would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.

Match Flow and Early Action

The Benfica boss had predicted that the home side would be very physical, but his own team showed their similar aggressive style. Benfica certainly enjoyed breaking up Newcastle's early efforts to establish a fluent passing rhythm.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, two players, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, began on the bench as they were convalescing from sickness and a knock respectively.

Prior to the start, the two managers exchanged a brief, cool embrace, and it quickly became clear that Mourinho had instructed his side to quiet the crowd by delaying Newcastle and reducing the intensity whenever possible.

Key Moments and Turning Points

The visitors' strategy produced varied outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates succeeded to dismantle the backline, they initially struggled to create good opportunities.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgian attacker Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating the defender on the ground, he tested Nick Pope with a tremendous strike that got an excellent one-handed stop. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an England return in time for the global tournament.

Yet when the winger hit another shot off the woodwork, the home side roused themselves. Jacob Murphy shot off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive near-post save from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally opened the deadlock.

Gordon's blazing speed had caused problems for Mourinho all night, and he neatly side-footed the first goal past Trubin after Murphy's quick ball into the box proved effective.

On the occasion Newcastle's intense, pressing game was not second-guessed by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to pass a low cross across the face of goal for the winger to polish off.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be accused of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now their side pushed forward with total abandon. The winger consistently showed an skill to destabilize Newcastle's back four, and the Magpies were probably grateful to regroup at the break.

The opening period ended with the keeper again saving his team by tipping the attacker's left-foot wide of the goal frame, and as the teams emerged for the next period, everything seemed finely balanced.

If Gordon, clearly buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League games this season, played with the determination of a winger aiming to shift the balance in Newcastle's direction, Lukebakio had different ideas.

Mourinho's winger had already emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a natural left-back, and home fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio advanced.

Howe might have relaxed had Miley, deputising for Tonali, not directed a corner above the crossbar from a well-placed position. Rather, this thrilling game continued to swing from one goal to the other, persuading the manager to bring on Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

The Benfica boss, at the same time, brought on an extra forward in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk that backfired.

Barnes Seals the Match

Until then, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had performed a good job in restricting Woltemade's room and pushing the German centre-forward back. But now, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the way was clear for Harvey Barnes to prove that Gordon is not Howe's only attacking winger.

Newcastle's double substitution was already paying off by the time Pope sent a wonderful long throw in Barnes's direction. When Silva, for once, misjudged the bounce, the winger was away, accelerating into the area before keeping commendable poise to fire a sublime strike past the keeper.

After Harvey Barnes slid a low effort through unfortunate the goalkeeper's legs after receiving Gordon's stellar through ball, it was all over. The Benfica manager had cautioned that Newcastle have several quick wide attackers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had shattered his chances of securing the team's first Champions League points of the campaign.