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As Jose Mourinho came at Newcastle's stadium and complimented Newcastle's coach and his players, home supporters feared a difficult game. But such worries disappeared thanks to a strike from the winger and two more from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring the visitors' new manager would not cause any trouble for Howe's team.

Game Flow and Initial Action

The Benfica boss had predicted that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players showed their own combative style. Benfica clearly delighted in breaking up the Magpies' early attempts to establish a fluent attacking rhythm.

Adding to the home team's challenges, two players, Tonali and the Brazilian, started as substitutes as they were convalescing from sickness and injury each.

Before the start, the two managers exchanged a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it soon became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his team to subdue the crowd by slowing the game and lowering the intensity at every chance.

Critical Events and Turning Points

Benfica's tactic yielded varied results, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to dismantle Benfica's backline, they at first struggled to generate good chances.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgian winger Dodi Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn behind, he tested Nick Pope with a tremendous strike that required an excellent single-hand save. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team return in time for the global tournament.

Yet when Lukebakio directed another attempt off the woodwork, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy fired off target, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent near-post save from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching pace had created problems for the Benfica coach all evening, and he neatly slotted the first goal past Trubin after his teammate's quick cross into the area paid off.

When the Magpies' hard, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was there to pass a ground ball across the goal for the winger to polish off.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now their side pushed forward with total freedom. Lukebakio repeatedly showed an ability to destabilize Newcastle's defense, and the home team were likely grateful to reset at the break.

The first half ended with Pope once more rescuing his side by diverting Lukebakio's shot wide of the post, and as the sides came out for the next period, everything seemed finely balanced.

If Anthony Gordon, evidently boosted by scoring his fourth strike in three European appearances this season, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to alter the balance in Newcastle's favor, the Benfica attacker had other plans.

The manager's No 11 had previously shown that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a natural left-back, and home hearts were nervous every time Lukebakio advanced.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece over the crossbar from a well-placed position. Rather, this thrilling game continued to move from one goal to the other, persuading the manager to introduce Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

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

Barnes Wins the Game

Until then, the away team, and especially their Portugal back Antonio Silva, had performed a fine job in restricting Nick Woltemade's space and forcing the Germany centre-forward back. But now, with right-back Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the path was open for Harvey Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking winger.

The home side's double substitution was already paying off by the time Pope sent a wonderful long throw in the substitute's path. When Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the bounce, Barnes was away, accelerating into the area before maintaining commendable poise to lash a superb strike past Trubin.

When Harvey Barnes slid a low effort through poor Trubin's feet after meeting Anthony Gordon's stellar through ball, it was finished. Mourinho had warned that Newcastle have four very fast wingers, and three goals from two wingers had shattered his hopes of securing Benfica's first European result of the season.