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As Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and complimented Eddie Howe and his players, local fans feared a tough match. However such fears disappeared thanks to a goal from the winger and a brace from substitute Harvey Barnes, ensuring the visitors' coach would not cause pain for Newcastle.

Match Dynamics and Early Exchanges

Mourinho had predicted that Newcastle would be very physical, but his Benfica players showed their similar combative approach. Benfica certainly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's early attempts to establish a smooth passing tempo.

Adding to the home team's issues, key players, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, started as substitutes as they continued recovering from sickness and injury each.

Prior to kick-off, the coaches shared a brief, cool greeting, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his side to quiet the home fans by delaying Newcastle and lowering the temperature whenever possible.

Key Events and Turning Points

Benfica's strategy yielded mixed results, but when Gordon and his teammates succeeded to break through the defensive barricades, they initially struggled to create good opportunities.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgium winger Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving the defender on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous strike that required an terrific single-hand stop. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team recall in time for the World Cup.

Yet when Lukebakio directed a further shot against the woodwork, the home side roused themselves. Murphy shot off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

Gordon's blazing speed had caused problems for the Benfica coach all evening, and he calmly slotted the first goal past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early ball into the area proved effective.

On the occasion the Magpies' intense, high press was not second-guessed by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was available to pass a ground cross across the face of goal for the winger to polish off.

Second Half and Decisive Changes

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their players pushed forward with total abandon. Lukebakio consistently showed an ability to unsettle Newcastle's defense, and the home team were probably relieved to regroup at half-time.

The opening period ended with Pope once more saving his team by tipping the attacker's left-foot wide of the post, and as the sides emerged for the next period, everything seemed evenly balanced.

While Anthony Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three European appearances this season, played with the zeal of a winger aiming to shift the power balance in his team's favor, the Benfica attacker had other plans.

The manager's No 11 had previously emphasized that, while Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a born left-back, and home hearts were nervous every time he moved forward.

Howe might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner above the bar from a well-placed position. Instead, this thrilling contest continued to move from end to end, persuading the manager to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

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

Harvey Barnes Seals the Game

Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portugal back Antonio Silva, had performed a good job in limiting Nick Woltemade's room and pushing the German striker back. However, with right-back Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the way was open for Harvey Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only attacking wide player.

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

When Barnes rolled a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's feet after receiving Anthony Gordon's excellent pass, it was all over. Mourinho had cautioned that the Magpies have four very fast wingers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had destroyed his hopes of earning the team's first European points of the campaign.