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When the Benfica manager arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, local supporters were concerned about a difficult game. However such fears vanished thanks to a strike from Anthony Gordon and a brace from replacement the forward, ensuring the visitors' coach would not cause pain for Newcastle.

Game Dynamics and Initial Exchanges

The Benfica boss had forecast that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his own team showed their similar aggressive approach. The visitors clearly delighted in breaking up the Magpies' initial attempts to establish a smooth attacking tempo.

Adding to the home team's challenges, two players, Tonali and the Brazilian, began on the bench as they were recovering from illness and a knock respectively.

Before the start, the coaches exchanged a perfunctory, cool greeting, and it quickly became clear that the Benfica coach had told his team to quiet the home fans by delaying the game and lowering the temperature whenever possible.

Critical Events and Decisive Actions

The visitors' tactic produced mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to generate clear chances.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgian attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn on the ground, he tested Nick Pope with a tremendous strike that required an excellent single-hand stop. It's no surprise the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team recall in time for the World Cup.

But when Lukebakio directed a further attempt against the woodwork, Newcastle woke up. Murphy shot wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon at last broke the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching pace had created consternation for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early cross into the area proved effective.

On the occasion the Magpies' hard, high press was not second-guessed by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to pass a ground ball across the face of goal for Gordon to polish off.

Second Half and Decisive Substitutions

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now their players pushed forward with real freedom. The winger repeatedly displayed an ability to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the home team were probably grateful to reset at the break.

The opening period ended with Pope again saving his team by diverting the attacker's shot around the post, and as the teams came out for the second half, everything seemed evenly balanced.

While Anthony Gordon, evidently boosted by netting his fourth strike in three European games this season, played with the zeal of a wide player set to shift the power balance in Newcastle's direction, the Benfica attacker had other ideas.

Mourinho's winger had already shown that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a natural full-back, and Newcastle fans were nervous every time he advanced.

Howe might have felt easier had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not directed a corner over the bar from a well-placed spot. Instead, this thrilling game continued to move from end to end, prompting the manager to bring on the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, at the same time, threw on an additional striker in Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a gamble too far.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Match

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had performed a good job in limiting Nick Woltemade's space and pushing the German striker back. But now, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the path was open for Harvey Barnes to prove that Gordon is not the manager's only attacking winger.

Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful long throw in Barnes's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misread the bounce, Barnes was clear, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining impressive composure to lash a sublime shot past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes slid a low effort through unfortunate Trubin's legs after receiving Gordon's excellent pass, it was all over. The Benfica manager had cautioned that the Magpies have four quick wingers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wingers had shattered his chances of securing the team's first Champions League points of the season.