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As Jose Mourinho arrived at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, local supporters were concerned about a difficult match. However those fears disappeared thanks to a strike from the winger and a brace from substitute the forward, ensuring Benfica's coach did not inflict pain for Newcastle.

Match Flow and Early Action

The Benfica boss had forecast that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his own team showed their own combative style. Benfica clearly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's early attempts to establish a smooth passing rhythm.

Compounding Newcastle's issues, two players, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, started on the bench as they continued convalescing from illness and a knock respectively.

Prior to kick-off, the two managers shared a brief, reserved greeting, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his team to subdue the home fans by delaying the game and reducing the intensity whenever possible.

Key Events and Turning Points

The visitors' strategy yielded mixed results, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to break through Benfica's backline, they at first struggled to create good chances.

Moreover, the Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating the defender on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that got an excellent single-hand stop. It's no surprise Pope retains hope for an England recall in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger hit another shot off the woodwork, Newcastle woke up. Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent near-post stop from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last opened the scoreless tie.

The England winger's scorching speed had caused problems for Mourinho all night, and he calmly side-footed the opener past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early cross into the area proved effective.

When Newcastle's intense, high press was not second-guessed by Benfica, Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was available to deliver a ground ball across the face of goal for Gordon to finish.

Later Stages and Decisive Changes

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now their side attacked with real freedom. The winger consistently showed an ability to destabilize Howe's defense, and the home team were probably relieved to reset at half-time.

The first half concluded with the keeper again saving his team by tipping the attacker's shot around the goal frame, and as the teams came out for the next period, the match seemed finely poised.

While Anthony Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth goal in three European appearances this season, played with the zeal of a winger aiming to shift the balance in his team's direction, Lukebakio had different plans.

Mourinho's winger had previously shown that, while Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a natural left-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time he moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a corner over the crossbar from a good spot. Rather, this absorbing game continued to move from one goal to the other, persuading Newcastle's coach to introduce 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 perhaps prove a risk too far.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Game

Before that, the away team, and especially their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had done a fine job in limiting Woltemade's space and forcing Newcastle's Germany striker back. However, with right-back Amar Dedic off, the backline was weakened, and the path was clear for Barnes to show that Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring winger.

Newcastle's two changes was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper sent a superb long throw in Barnes's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misread the bounce, the winger was clear, accelerating into the penalty box before maintaining impressive composure to lash a sublime shot past Trubin.

When Barnes slid a shot through poor Trubin's legs after meeting Anthony Gordon's excellent pass, it was all over. Mourinho had warned that Newcastle have several very fast wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had destroyed his hopes of earning Benfica's first European result of the season.