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When the Benfica manager came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, local fans feared a tough match. However such fears disappeared due to a goal from the winger and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring Benfica's coach would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.

Match Dynamics and Initial Action

Mourinho had predicted that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players showed their own combative style. The visitors certainly enjoyed disrupting the Magpies' early attempts to build a smooth passing tempo.

Compounding the home team's issues, two players, Tonali and the Brazilian, began as substitutes as they were recovering from illness and a knock respectively.

Before kick-off, the coaches exchanged a brief, cool greeting, and it soon became clear that Mourinho had told his side to subdue the home fans by slowing the game and reducing the intensity whenever possible.

Critical Moments and Turning Points

Benfica's strategy yielded mixed outcomes, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to dismantle the defensive barricades, they initially found it hard to create clear chances.

Additionally, the Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn behind, he forced Nick Pope with a powerful shot that got an terrific one-handed stop. It's no surprise the goalkeeper still hopes for an England recall in time for the World Cup.

But when Lukebakio hit a further shot against the woodwork, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive near-post stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon at last broke the deadlock.

The England winger's scorching pace had created consternation for Mourinho all night, and he calmly side-footed the first goal past Trubin after Murphy's quick cross into the area paid off.

When Newcastle's hard, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to pass a ground ball across the face of goal for the winger to finish.

Second Half and Decisive Substitutions

From the beginning, Benfica could not be blamed of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's players attacked with total abandon. Lukebakio consistently displayed an skill to unsettle Howe's back four, and the home team were probably relieved to regroup at half-time.

The first half concluded with Pope again rescuing his side by tipping Lukebakio's left-foot wide of the post, and as the teams emerged for the next period, the match seemed finely poised.

While Gordon, clearly boosted by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League games this campaign, played with the determination of a winger set to alter the balance in his team's direction, Lukebakio had different ideas.

Mourinho's winger had already emphasized that, while Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a natural left-back, and home hearts were nervous every time Lukebakio advanced.

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

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, brought on an extra forward in Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a gamble that backfired.

Harvey Barnes Wins the Game

Before that, Benfica, and in particular their Portugal defender Antonio Silva, had done a fine job in limiting Woltemade's space and pushing the Germany striker back. However, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the way was open for 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 the goalkeeper sent a wonderful throw in the substitute's direction. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the bounce, the winger was clear, accelerating into the penalty box before maintaining impressive poise to fire a sublime shot past Trubin.

When Harvey Barnes rolled a shot through poor the goalkeeper's legs after meeting Gordon's excellent through ball, it was all over. Mourinho had cautioned that Newcastle have four very fast wingers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had shattered his chances of securing Benfica's first European points of the season.