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When Jose Mourinho came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his players, home fans were concerned about a tough game. But those worries disappeared thanks to a goal from the winger and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring Benfica's new manager would not cause pain for Howe's team.

Game Dynamics and Initial Action

The Benfica boss had forecast that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their own combative approach. Benfica clearly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's early attempts to establish a smooth attacking tempo.

Adding to Newcastle's issues, two players, Tonali and the Brazilian, began as substitutes as they were convalescing from illness and injury each.

Prior to kick-off, the two managers exchanged a brief, reserved embrace, and it quickly became clear that the Benfica coach had instructed his team to subdue the home fans by delaying Newcastle and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Critical Events and Decisive Actions

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

Moreover, Benfica's Belgium winger Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating the defender on the ground, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous shot that required an excellent 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 attempt against the woodwork, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy shot wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent close-range save from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally opened the deadlock.

Gordon's blazing pace had created consternation for Mourinho all evening, and he calmly side-footed the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's quick cross into the area proved effective.

On the occasion Newcastle's intense, pressing game was not second-guessed by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was there to pass a ground cross across the face of goal for the winger to polish off.

Second Half and Decisive Substitutions

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their players attacked with total freedom. The winger consistently displayed an ability to destabilize Newcastle's defense, and the home team were probably relieved to reset at the break.

The opening period concluded with the keeper once more saving his side by tipping Lukebakio's shot wide of the post, and as the sides emerged for the next period, everything seemed finely poised.

While Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth goal in three European games this season, played with the zeal of a wide player set to shift the balance in his team's direction, Lukebakio had different ideas.

Mourinho's winger had already shown that, while Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a natural full-back, and Newcastle fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece over the crossbar from a good position. Instead, this absorbing contest continued to move from end to end, persuading the coach to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, at the same time, brought on an additional forward in Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a gamble that backfired.

Barnes Wins the Match

Until then, the away team, and in particular their Portuguese defender Antonio Silva, had done a fine job in limiting Woltemade's space and forcing Newcastle's Germany centre-forward back. However, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the path was open for Harvey Barnes to show that Gordon is not the manager's only attacking wide player.

The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper sent a superb long throw in Barnes's path. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the bounce, Barnes was clear, accelerating into the area before keeping impressive poise to lash a superb shot past the keeper.

After Harvey Barnes slid a low effort through unfortunate the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's excellent pass, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that Newcastle have four very fast wingers, and three goals from two wide men had shattered his hopes of securing the team's first European result of the campaign.