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As the Benfica manager arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his players, home fans feared a difficult game. But those worries vanished due to a strike from Anthony Gordon and two more from substitute Harvey Barnes, making sure Benfica's new manager did not inflict any trouble for Newcastle.

Game Flow and Initial Exchanges

The Benfica boss had forecast that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their similar aggressive style. Benfica certainly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's initial attempts to build a fluent attacking rhythm.

Compounding Newcastle's challenges, key midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, began as substitutes as they continued recovering from sickness and injury each.

Before kick-off, the two managers shared a perfunctory, reserved embrace, and it soon became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his team to subdue the home fans by delaying the game and lowering the temperature whenever possible.

Critical Moments and Turning Points

Benfica's tactic yielded mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates succeeded to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first struggled to generate good opportunities.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgian winger Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating the defender on the ground, he tested Nick Pope with a powerful shot that required an excellent one-handed stop. It's no surprise Pope retains hope for an England recall in time for the global tournament.

But when Lukebakio directed another shot against the woodwork, Newcastle roused themselves. Murphy fired off target, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive near-post stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last broke the deadlock.

Gordon's blazing pace had caused consternation for the Benfica coach all evening, and he calmly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's quick cross into the box proved effective.

When the Magpies' hard, high press was not anticipated by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was there to pass a ground ball across the goal for the winger to polish off.

Second Half and Decisive Substitutions

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's players attacked with total freedom. Lukebakio consistently showed an ability to destabilize Newcastle's back four, and the home team were likely grateful to reset at half-time.

The opening period concluded with the keeper once more rescuing his team by tipping the attacker's shot around the goal frame, and as the sides came out for the next period, everything seemed evenly poised.

While Anthony Gordon, clearly buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three European games this campaign, played with the determination of a winger aiming to shift the power balance in his team's favor, Lukebakio had other plans.

The manager's winger had already emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a born full-back, and home fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio advanced.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not headed a set-piece over the bar from a well-placed spot. Instead, this thrilling contest continued to swing from one goal to the other, persuading Newcastle's manager to introduce Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, at the same time, brought on an additional striker in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk too far.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Game

Before that, the away team, and especially their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had performed a fine job in restricting Woltemade's space and pushing the German centre-forward deep. But now, with right-back Dedic off, the defense was weakened, and the path was open for Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only attacking winger.

The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper sent a superb throw in the substitute's direction. When Antonio Silva, for once, misread the bounce, Barnes was away, accelerating into the area before maintaining impressive poise to fire a superb strike past the keeper.

After Harvey Barnes rolled a shot through poor Trubin's legs after receiving Anthony Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. Mourinho had cautioned that the Magpies have four very fast wide attackers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had destroyed his chances of earning Benfica's first European result of the season.