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As Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, home fans feared a difficult match. But those worries vanished due to a goal from the winger and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, making sure the visitors' coach would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.

Game Dynamics and Early Exchanges

Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their own combative style. Benfica certainly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's initial attempts to build a fluent passing rhythm.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, key players, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, began as substitutes as they continued recovering from sickness and a knock each.

Before kick-off, the coaches shared a brief, reserved greeting, and it soon became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his side to quiet the crowd by delaying the game and lowering the intensity at every chance.

Critical Moments and Decisive Actions

Benfica's strategy yielded varied outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates managed to break through Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to create good opportunities.

Moreover, the Belgian winger Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that got an excellent one-handed stop. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an England recall in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger directed a further attempt against the woodwork, the home side woke up. Murphy shot off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive near-post stop from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last broke the scoreless tie.

The England winger's blazing speed had created problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly side-footed the first goal past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early ball into the area proved effective.

On the occasion the Magpies' hard, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was there to deliver a low ball across the face of goal for Gordon to polish off.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Changes

Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now their side pushed forward with real abandon. Lukebakio repeatedly showed an skill to destabilize Newcastle's back four, and the home team were probably relieved to regroup at the break.

The first half concluded with the keeper once more rescuing his team by tipping the attacker's left-foot wide of the goal frame, and as the teams came out for the second half, everything seemed evenly poised.

If Gordon, clearly boosted by scoring his fourth strike in three European appearances this campaign, played with the zeal of a wide player aiming to shift the power balance in his team's favor, the Benfica attacker had different plans.

The manager's winger had already emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a natural full-back, and home hearts were in mouths every time he moved forward.

Howe might have relaxed had Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a corner above the bar from a good position. Instead, this absorbing game continued to swing from end to end, persuading the coach to bring on Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, brought on an extra forward in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a gamble that backfired.

Barnes Wins the Game

Until then, the away team, and in particular their Portugal back Antonio Silva, had done a good job in restricting Woltemade's room and forcing the Germany striker back. However, with defender Dedic off, the defense was underpowered, and the path was clear for Harvey Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only attacking wide player.

Newcastle's double substitution was already proving effective by the time Pope sent a wonderful long throw in the substitute's direction. When Silva, on this occasion, misread the flight, the winger was away, accelerating into the penalty box before keeping commendable poise to fire a sublime shot past Trubin.

After Harvey Barnes rolled a low effort through unfortunate Trubin's feet after meeting Gordon's excellent pass, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that Newcastle have four quick wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had destroyed his hopes of securing the team's first European points of the campaign.