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When Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and complimented Eddie Howe and his players, home fans were concerned about a difficult game. However such fears disappeared thanks to a goal from the winger and two more from substitute the forward, making sure the visitors' new manager would not cause pain for Newcastle.

Game Dynamics and Early Exchanges

The Benfica boss had forecast that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his own team showed their own combative style. Benfica certainly delighted in breaking up Newcastle's initial attempts to establish a fluent passing rhythm.

Compounding the home team's issues, two players, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, started on the bench as they continued recovering from illness and injury each.

Prior to the start, the coaches exchanged a perfunctory, cool embrace, and it soon became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his team to quiet the home fans by delaying Newcastle and reducing the intensity at every chance.

Key Moments and Turning Points

The visitors' strategy produced mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they initially struggled to create good opportunities.

Additionally, the Belgian attacker Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving the defender behind, he tested Nick Pope with a powerful strike that got an terrific single-hand stop. No wonder Pope retains hope for an national team recall in time for the World Cup.

But when the winger hit a further attempt off the woodwork, the home side woke up. Murphy shot wide, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent near-post save from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching speed had created problems for Mourinho all night, and he calmly side-footed the first goal past Trubin after Murphy's early ball into the box proved effective.

When Newcastle's hard, high press was not anticipated by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to deliver a low cross across the face of goal for Gordon to finish.

Later Stages and Decisive Substitutions

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their players pushed forward with total abandon. The winger consistently showed an skill to destabilize Howe's back four, and the home team were probably grateful to reset at the break.

The opening period concluded with Pope again rescuing his side by diverting the attacker's shot around the goal frame, and as the sides came out for the second half, the match seemed evenly poised.

While Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this season, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to alter the balance in Newcastle's direction, Lukebakio had different ideas.

Mourinho's winger had previously emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born left-back, and Newcastle hearts were in mouths every time he moved forward.

Howe might have felt easier had Miley, deputising for Tonali, not headed a corner over the bar from a well-placed position. Rather, this absorbing game continued to swing from one goal to the other, persuading Newcastle's manager to introduce Joelinton and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, brought on an extra striker in Franjo Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a gamble that backfired.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Game

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had done a good job in limiting Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's German centre-forward deep. But now, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the way was open for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring winger.

Newcastle's two changes was already proving effective by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful long throw in Barnes's direction. When Silva, for once, misjudged the flight, the winger was away, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining commendable composure to lash a superb shot past Trubin.

When Barnes rolled a shot through poor Trubin's feet after meeting Gordon's excellent pass, it was all over. Mourinho had warned that the Magpies have four quick wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had destroyed his chances of securing the team's first Champions League points of the season.