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As Jose Mourinho arrived at St James' Park and complimented Newcastle's coach and his squad, home fans were concerned about a tough game. But such worries disappeared thanks to a goal from the winger and a brace from substitute the forward, ensuring the visitors' coach did not inflict any trouble for Newcastle.

Match Dynamics and Early Action

The Benfica boss had predicted that Newcastle would be very physical, but his own team displayed their similar aggressive approach. Benfica clearly delighted in disrupting the Magpies' initial efforts to establish a smooth attacking tempo.

Adding to the home team's issues, key midfielders, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, began on the bench as they continued recovering from sickness and a knock respectively.

Before kick-off, the coaches exchanged a perfunctory, cool embrace, and it quickly became clear that Mourinho had told his side to quiet the crowd by slowing the game and lowering the temperature at every chance.

Key Moments and Turning Points

The visitors' tactic produced varied results, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they initially found it hard to create good chances.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgian winger Lukebakio almost demonstrated scoring skill when, after leaving Dan Burn behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous shot that required an excellent single-hand stop. It's no surprise Pope retains hope for an England recall in time for the World Cup.

Yet when Lukebakio directed a further shot off the post, the home side woke up. Murphy shot off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive near-post stop from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

The England winger's scorching pace had created problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he calmly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's early cross into the box proved effective.

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

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

From the beginning, Benfica could not be blamed of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now their players attacked with total freedom. The winger consistently showed an ability to destabilize Howe's back four, and the home team were likely relieved to regroup at the break.

The first half ended with the keeper once more rescuing his side by tipping Lukebakio's shot wide of the post, and as the sides came out for the second half, everything seemed finely poised.

While Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three European appearances this season, played with the zeal of a wide player set to shift the balance in Newcastle's direction, the Benfica attacker had other ideas.

The manager's winger had already shown that, while Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a natural left-back, and home hearts were in mouths every time Lukebakio advanced.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Miley, deputising for Tonali, not directed a corner over the bar from a good spot. Instead, this absorbing game continued to swing from one goal to the other, persuading the coach to introduce Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, at the same time, brought on an extra forward in Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a gamble too far.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Match

Before that, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese defender Silva, had done a fine job in restricting Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's German centre-forward deep. But now, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the way was clear for Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking wide player.

The home side's double substitution was already paying off by the time Pope sent a superb long throw in Barnes's path. When Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the bounce, Barnes was clear, accelerating into the area before maintaining commendable poise to lash a superb strike past Trubin.

After Barnes slid a low effort through poor Trubin's feet after receiving Gordon's stellar through ball, it was finished. The Benfica manager had cautioned that the Magpies have four very fast wingers, and three goals from two wingers had destroyed his hopes of earning the team's first European points of the campaign.