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As Jose Mourinho arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Newcastle's coach and his squad, local fans were concerned about a tough game. However such fears disappeared due to a strike from the winger and a brace from substitute the forward, making sure the visitors' new manager did not inflict any trouble for Newcastle.

Game Dynamics and Initial Exchanges

The Benfica boss had predicted that the home side would be very physical, but his Benfica players displayed their own combative style. Benfica clearly enjoyed breaking up the Magpies' early attempts to build a fluent passing tempo.

Compounding the home team's issues, two players, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, began on the bench as they were recovering from illness and injury respectively.

Before kick-off, the coaches shared a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it quickly became clear that the Benfica coach had instructed his team to quiet the crowd by slowing the game and reducing the intensity at every chance.

Critical Events and Decisive Actions

The visitors' strategy produced varied results, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to break through the backline, they initially struggled to create clear chances.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgian winger Dodi Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn on the ground, he forced Nick Pope with a tremendous shot that required an terrific one-handed stop. It's no surprise Pope still hopes for an national team return in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger directed a further shot off the woodwork, Newcastle roused themselves. Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent near-post stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon at last opened the scoreless tie.

Gordon's blazing pace had caused consternation for the Benfica coach all evening, and he neatly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's quick ball into the area proved effective.

On the occasion Newcastle's hard, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to pass a low ball across the goal for Gordon to polish off.

Second Half and Decisive Substitutions

Right from the start, Benfica could not be accused of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's side attacked with real abandon. Lukebakio repeatedly displayed an skill to destabilize Howe's defense, and the Magpies were probably relieved to reset at half-time.

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

If Anthony Gordon, clearly buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League appearances this season, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to shift the balance in his team's direction, Lukebakio had different plans.

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

Howe might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, deputising for Tonali, not headed a corner above the crossbar from a good spot. Instead, this thrilling game continued to swing from one goal to the other, prompting the coach to introduce Joelinton and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

The Benfica boss, at the same time, threw on an extra striker in Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a gamble that backfired.

Barnes Wins the Match

Before that, Benfica, and in particular their Portugal defender Silva, had done a good job in restricting Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's Germany striker back. But now, with right-back Amar Dedic off, the defense was weakened, and the path was clear for Harvey Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.

The home side's double substitution was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful throw in the substitute's direction. When Silva, for once, misread the flight, Barnes was clear, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining impressive poise to lash a sublime shot past the keeper.

When Barnes rolled a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's stellar pass, it was all over. The Benfica manager had cautioned that Newcastle have several very fast wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had shattered his chances of earning the team's first European points of the campaign.