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As the Benfica manager came at St James' Park and praised Eddie Howe and his players, local supporters feared a tough game. However such worries disappeared thanks to a strike from the winger and a brace from substitute Harvey Barnes, ensuring the visitors' new manager would not cause pain for Newcastle.

Match Flow and Early Exchanges

Mourinho had predicted that Newcastle would be very physical, but his Benfica players showed their own combative approach. The visitors clearly enjoyed disrupting the Magpies' initial efforts to establish a smooth passing rhythm.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, key midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they were recovering from illness and injury each.

Before the start, the coaches exchanged a perfunctory, cool greeting, and it quickly became apparent that Mourinho had instructed his side to subdue the home fans by slowing the game and lowering the temperature at every chance.

Critical Events and Decisive Actions

The visitors' tactic produced mixed results, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they initially found it hard to create good chances.

Additionally, the Belgium winger Lukebakio almost showed scoring skill when, after beating the defender on the ground, he tested Nick Pope with a tremendous shot that required an terrific one-handed stop. It's no surprise Pope still hopes for an national team return in time for the World Cup.

But when the winger hit a further attempt off the post, the home side woke up. Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the scoreless tie.

The England winger's scorching pace had caused consternation for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's early ball into the box proved effective.

When Newcastle's intense, pressing game was not second-guessed by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was there to deliver a ground ball across the face of goal for the winger to finish.

Second Half and Match-Winning Substitutions

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now their players pushed forward with real abandon. Lukebakio consistently displayed an skill to destabilize Howe's back four, and the Magpies were probably relieved to regroup at half-time.

The first half ended with the keeper once more rescuing his team by tipping Lukebakio's left-foot wide of the goal frame, and as the sides came out for the next period, the match seemed finely balanced.

If Anthony Gordon, clearly buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League games this season, played with the zeal of a winger set to alter the balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had other ideas.

Mourinho's No 11 had previously shown that, while Dan Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a natural left-back, and Newcastle hearts were nervous every time Lukebakio advanced.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece above the crossbar from a well-placed position. Rather, this absorbing game continued to swing from end to end, prompting the coach to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, brought on an additional forward in Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a gamble too far.

Barnes Seals the Match

Until then, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had performed a good job in restricting Nick Woltemade's room and forcing the Germany striker deep. However, with right-back Amar Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the way was open for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.

The home side's double substitution was already proving effective by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful throw in Barnes's direction. When Antonio Silva, for once, misread the bounce, Barnes was clear, accelerating into the area before maintaining impressive poise to lash a superb shot past Trubin.

After Barnes slid a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's legs after receiving Anthony Gordon's excellent through ball, it was all over. The Benfica manager had cautioned that Newcastle have several very fast wide attackers, and three goals from two wingers had shattered his chances of earning Benfica's first European result of the campaign.