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When Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and complimented Newcastle's coach and his squad, local supporters were concerned about a tough match. However those worries vanished thanks to a goal from the winger and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, making sure Benfica's coach did not inflict any trouble for Newcastle.

Game Flow and Early Action

Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be very physical, but his Benfica players showed their own combative approach. Benfica clearly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's early attempts to establish a fluent passing tempo.

Compounding the home team's issues, two players, Tonali and the Brazilian, started as substitutes as they continued recovering from sickness and a knock respectively.

Prior to the start, the coaches shared a brief, reserved embrace, and it quickly became apparent that Mourinho had told his side to quiet the crowd by delaying the game and reducing the intensity whenever possible.

Critical Moments and Turning Points

Benfica's tactic produced mixed outcomes, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to create good chances.

Additionally, the Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving the defender on the ground, he forced Nick Pope with a powerful shot that required an terrific one-handed stop. No wonder the goalkeeper retains hope for an England return in time for the World Cup.

Yet when Lukebakio hit a further shot against the post, Newcastle roused themselves. Murphy shot off target, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent near-post stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last broke the deadlock.

Gordon's blazing speed had caused problems for the Benfica coach all evening, and he calmly slotted the opener past Trubin after his teammate's quick cross into the box paid off.

When the Magpies' intense, high press was not second-guessed by Benfica, Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to deliver a low cross across the face of goal for the winger to polish off.

Later Stages and Decisive Changes

Right from the start, Benfica could not be accused of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's side pushed forward with total freedom. Lukebakio consistently showed an skill to destabilize Howe's back four, and the home team were likely relieved to regroup at the break.

The first half concluded with Pope again saving his team by tipping Lukebakio's shot wide of the goal frame, and as the teams came out for the second half, everything seemed finely balanced.

If Anthony Gordon, evidently boosted by netting his fourth goal in three European appearances this season, played with the zeal of a winger aiming to alter the balance in his team's favor, the Benfica attacker had other ideas.

Mourinho's No 11 had previously emphasized that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born full-back, and home fans were nervous every time Lukebakio moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not directed a set-piece over the crossbar from a good position. Rather, this thrilling game continued to swing from one goal to the other, persuading the coach to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, at the same time, threw on an additional forward in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a gamble that backfired.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Match

Until then, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese defender Antonio Silva, had done a good job in restricting Nick Woltemade's room and pushing Newcastle's German striker back. However, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the path was open for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only attacking wide player.

The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a wonderful long throw in the substitute's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misjudged the flight, the winger was away, sprinting into the area before maintaining impressive poise to lash a superb strike past Trubin.

After Barnes slid a shot through unfortunate Trubin's feet after meeting Gordon's stellar pass, it was finished. The Benfica manager had cautioned that Newcastle have several very fast wingers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wide men had destroyed his hopes of securing the team's first European points of the campaign.