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When Jose Mourinho came at Newcastle's stadium and complimented Newcastle's coach and his squad, local supporters were concerned about a tough game. However those fears disappeared thanks to a goal from the winger and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, making sure the visitors' new manager did not inflict any trouble for Newcastle.

Match Flow and Initial Action

Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their own aggressive approach. Benfica clearly enjoyed breaking up the Magpies' early efforts to build a fluent passing rhythm.

Compounding the home team's issues, two midfielders, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, began on the bench as they were convalescing from illness and a knock respectively.

Prior to the start, the two managers shared a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it soon became apparent that Mourinho had told his side to quiet the crowd by delaying Newcastle and reducing the temperature whenever possible.

Critical Moments and Decisive Actions

Benfica's tactic yielded mixed results, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle the defensive barricades, they initially struggled to generate good opportunities.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost demonstrated scoring skill when, after leaving Dan Burn behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that got an terrific one-handed save. No wonder the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team return in time for the global tournament.

But when Lukebakio directed a further shot off the post, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy shot off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range save from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon at last broke the deadlock.

The England winger's blazing speed had caused problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he calmly side-footed the opener past Trubin after his teammate's early ball into the area paid off.

When Newcastle's hard, high press was not second-guessed by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was available to pass a low cross across the face of goal for the winger to polish off.

Later Stages and Decisive Changes

From the beginning, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's side attacked with real abandon. The winger repeatedly showed an ability to destabilize Howe's back four, and the Magpies were likely relieved to regroup at the break.

The opening period ended with the keeper again rescuing his side by diverting the attacker's shot wide of the post, and as the sides came out for the next period, the match seemed finely balanced.

While Anthony Gordon, clearly buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three European games this campaign, played with the determination of a wide player set to shift the 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 central defender, he is not a born full-back, and Newcastle fans were nervous every time Lukebakio advanced.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Miley, filling in for Tonali, not headed a set-piece above the bar from a well-placed position. Instead, this thrilling contest continued to swing from end to end, prompting the coach to introduce the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, threw on an additional striker in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk too far.

Barnes Seals the Game

Before that, the away team, and especially their Portugal back Antonio Silva, had done a fine job in restricting Woltemade's space and forcing the Germany centre-forward deep. However, with defender Dedic off, the defense was underpowered, and the path was clear for Harvey Barnes to show that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.

The home side'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 flight, the winger was clear, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining commendable composure to lash a superb shot past Trubin.

After Harvey Barnes slid a low effort through unfortunate Trubin's feet after receiving Anthony Gordon's excellent through ball, it was all over. Mourinho had cautioned that Newcastle have four quick wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wide men had destroyed his chances of earning the team's first European points of the season.