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When Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, home fans were concerned about a tough match. But such worries vanished due to a strike from Anthony Gordon and a brace from replacement the forward, ensuring Benfica's coach would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.

Game Flow and Initial Exchanges

The Benfica boss had forecast that the home side would be very physical, but his Benfica players showed their own aggressive approach. Benfica certainly enjoyed breaking up Newcastle's initial attempts to establish a smooth passing rhythm.

Compounding the home team's issues, two players, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, began as substitutes as they were recovering from illness and a knock respectively.

Before kick-off, the two managers shared a perfunctory, cool greeting, and it quickly became clear that Mourinho had instructed his side to subdue the home fans by slowing the game and reducing the intensity at every chance.

Critical Events and Decisive Actions

The visitors' strategy produced varied outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates succeeded to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to generate clear opportunities.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgium attacker Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn on the ground, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous shot that got an terrific one-handed stop. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team recall in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger directed a further shot off the post, the home side roused themselves. Jacob Murphy fired off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent near-post stop from Guimaraes before Gordon at last opened the deadlock.

Gordon's blazing pace had caused problems for Mourinho all evening, and he neatly side-footed the opener past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early cross into the area paid off.

When the Magpies' hard, pressing game was not anticipated by Benfica, Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to pass a ground cross across the goal for the winger to polish off.

Second Half and Match-Winning Substitutions

From the beginning, Benfica could not be accused of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their side attacked with total abandon. The winger repeatedly displayed an ability to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the home team were probably grateful to regroup at half-time.

The opening period ended with Pope again saving his side by tipping the attacker's left-foot around the goal frame, and as the sides emerged for the second half, everything seemed evenly balanced.

While Gordon, evidently boosted by scoring his fourth strike in three European appearances this campaign, played with the determination of a winger set to alter the balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had other ideas.

Mourinho's winger had previously shown that, while Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a born full-back, and home hearts were in mouths every time Lukebakio moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner over the bar from a well-placed spot. Rather, this absorbing game continued to move from one goal to the other, prompting the coach to introduce Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

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

Barnes Seals the Match

Before that, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese back Silva, had done a fine job in restricting Nick Woltemade's room and forcing the Germany striker back. But now, with defender Amar Dedic off, the backline was underpowered, and the path was open for Barnes to prove that Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring winger.

Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope sent a superb long throw in Barnes's path. When 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 Trubin.

When Barnes slid a low effort through poor Trubin's legs after receiving Anthony Gordon's stellar pass, it was all over. Mourinho had cautioned that the Magpies have several very fast wingers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wingers had destroyed his chances of securing Benfica's first Champions League result of the campaign.