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As Jose Mourinho came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Newcastle's coach and his squad, home fans were concerned about a tough match. But those fears disappeared due to a strike from the winger and a brace from substitute Harvey Barnes, ensuring Benfica's coach did not inflict pain for Howe's team.

Game Flow and Early Exchanges

Mourinho had forecast that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their similar aggressive approach. The visitors clearly enjoyed breaking up the Magpies' early attempts to build a fluent attacking tempo.

Compounding Newcastle's issues, key players, Tonali and Joelinton, began on the bench as they were convalescing from illness and injury respectively.

Before the start, the two managers exchanged a brief, cool embrace, and it soon became apparent that Mourinho had instructed his side to quiet the home fans by delaying Newcastle and reducing the temperature whenever possible.

Critical Events and Turning Points

Benfica's strategy produced varied outcomes, but when Gordon and his teammates managed to dismantle the backline, they initially found it hard to generate clear opportunities.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving the defender behind, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that required an excellent single-hand save. It's no surprise Pope still hopes for an England recall in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger directed a further shot off the woodwork, the home side roused themselves. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range stop from Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the scoreless tie.

The England winger's blazing pace had caused problems for Mourinho all evening, and he neatly side-footed the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's quick ball into the box paid off.

When the Magpies' intense, pressing game was not second-guessed by Benfica, Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to deliver a ground cross across the goal for the winger to polish off.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their players pushed forward with total freedom. The winger consistently displayed an skill to destabilize Howe's back four, and the Magpies were likely grateful to reset at the break.

The opening period ended with the keeper once more rescuing his team by diverting Lukebakio's shot wide of the goal frame, and as the sides emerged for the next period, everything seemed evenly poised.

If Anthony Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League appearances this season, played with the determination of a winger set to shift the power balance in Newcastle's favor, the Benfica attacker had other ideas.

Mourinho's No 11 had already emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a born left-back, and Newcastle fans were nervous every time he moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not directed a set-piece above the crossbar from a good position. Rather, this absorbing game continued to move from one goal to the other, prompting Newcastle's coach to introduce Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, threw on an extra forward in Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a risk too far.

Harvey Barnes Wins the Game

Before that, the away team, and especially their Portuguese defender Silva, had performed a fine job in restricting Nick Woltemade's room and forcing the German striker deep. But now, with right-back Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the path was open for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring winger.

Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper sent a wonderful long throw in Barnes's direction. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the flight, Barnes was away, sprinting into the area before keeping impressive poise to fire a sublime shot past the keeper.

When Barnes slid a shot through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's excellent through ball, it was all over. The Benfica manager had warned that the Magpies have four very fast wide attackers, and three goals from two wingers had shattered his chances of earning the team's first European points of the campaign.