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When the Benfica manager arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, local fans feared a tough match. But such worries vanished thanks to a goal from Anthony Gordon and a brace from replacement the forward, making sure Benfica's new manager would not cause any trouble for Howe's team.

Match Dynamics and Initial Action

The Benfica boss had predicted that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their own aggressive style. The visitors clearly delighted in disrupting the Magpies' early attempts to establish a fluent passing rhythm.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, key players, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, started on the bench as they were convalescing from sickness and a knock each.

Before the start, the coaches exchanged a perfunctory, cool greeting, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his side to subdue the crowd by delaying the game and reducing the temperature at every chance.

Key Events and Decisive Actions

Benfica's strategy produced varied results, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to dismantle the backline, they at first found it hard to create clear opportunities.

Moreover, the Belgium attacker Lukebakio almost demonstrated scoring skill when, after leaving the defender on the ground, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous shot that got an excellent one-handed stop. It's no surprise the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team recall in time for the global tournament.

But when Lukebakio directed another shot off the post, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range save from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon finally broke the scoreless tie.

Gordon's scorching pace had created problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly side-footed the first goal past Trubin after Murphy's quick ball into the box paid off.

When Newcastle's intense, high press was not second-guessed by the opposition, Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to pass a ground ball across the face of goal for Gordon to finish.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be accused of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's players attacked with real abandon. Lukebakio consistently showed an ability to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the Magpies were probably relieved to regroup at half-time.

The first half concluded with Pope once more rescuing his team by diverting the attacker's left-foot wide of the post, and as the teams came out for the second half, everything seemed evenly balanced.

If Gordon, clearly buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three European appearances this campaign, played with the zeal of a wide player set to shift the balance in Newcastle's favor, the Benfica attacker had other ideas.

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

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner over the crossbar from a good spot. Instead, this absorbing game continued to move from end to end, persuading the manager to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, threw on an additional forward in Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a gamble that backfired.

Barnes Wins the Game

Until then, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese back Silva, had performed a fine job in limiting Nick Woltemade's room and forcing the Germany striker deep. However, with right-back Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the path was open for Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.

The home side's two changes was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper sent a superb throw in the substitute's direction. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the flight, the winger was away, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining commendable poise to lash a superb shot past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes rolled a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's feet after receiving Anthony Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that the Magpies have several quick wide attackers, and three goals from two wide men had destroyed his hopes of securing Benfica's first Champions League result of the campaign.