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As Jose Mourinho arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, local fans feared a difficult game. But those worries disappeared thanks to a strike from Anthony Gordon and two more from substitute Harvey Barnes, making sure Benfica's coach did not inflict any trouble for Howe's team.

Game Dynamics and Early Action

Mourinho had predicted that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players showed their own combative style. Benfica clearly delighted in disrupting the Magpies' initial attempts to establish a fluent passing tempo.

Compounding the home team's issues, key midfielders, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, began as substitutes as they continued convalescing from sickness and a knock each.

Before the start, the two managers exchanged a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it quickly became clear that Mourinho had told his side to subdue the crowd by delaying the game and lowering the intensity at every chance.

Critical Moments and Turning Points

Benfica's strategy produced mixed results, but when Gordon and his teammates succeeded to break through the defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to create good chances.

Moreover, the Belgium attacker Lukebakio almost demonstrated scoring skill when, after leaving Dan Burn on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous shot that got an terrific one-handed stop. No wonder Pope retains hope for an England return in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger hit a further shot against the woodwork, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy fired off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range save from Guimaraes before Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

The England winger's blazing pace had created problems for Mourinho all night, and he calmly slotted the first goal past Trubin after Murphy's early ball into the area paid off.

When Newcastle's intense, pressing game was not second-guessed by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to pass a low cross across the goal for the winger to finish.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be accused of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's side pushed forward with real abandon. Lukebakio consistently displayed an ability to destabilize Howe's back four, and the home team were likely grateful to reset at the break.

The first half ended with the keeper again rescuing his side by tipping Lukebakio's left-foot around the post, and as the teams came out for the next period, everything seemed evenly poised.

If Gordon, clearly buoyed by netting his fourth strike in three European games this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger aiming to shift the power balance in Newcastle's direction, the Benfica attacker had different ideas.

Mourinho's No 11 had already emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a natural full-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio advanced.

Howe might have felt easier had Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not directed a corner over the crossbar from a good position. Rather, this thrilling contest continued to swing from one goal to the other, persuading the manager to bring on the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, brought on an extra forward in Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a risk too far.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Match

Until then, the away team, and especially their Portugal defender Silva, had performed a good job in restricting Nick Woltemade's room and pushing the Germany centre-forward back. However, with right-back Amar Dedic off, the backline was weakened, and the way was clear for Harvey Barnes to show that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.

Newcastle's double substitution was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper sent a wonderful throw in Barnes's path. When Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the bounce, Barnes was away, accelerating into the area before keeping impressive poise to fire a sublime strike past the keeper.

After Harvey Barnes slid a low effort through unfortunate Trubin's feet after receiving Gordon's stellar pass, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that the Magpies have several very fast wingers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wide men had destroyed his hopes of securing Benfica's first Champions League points of the campaign.