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As Jose Mourinho arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, local fans were concerned about a tough game. However those fears disappeared due to a goal from the winger and a brace from replacement the forward, making sure the visitors' coach would not cause pain for Howe's team.

Match Flow and Initial Action

Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be very physical, but his Benfica players showed their similar aggressive style. Benfica clearly enjoyed disrupting the Magpies' early efforts to build a fluent passing tempo.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, two players, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, started on the bench as they were convalescing from sickness and a knock respectively.

Before kick-off, the coaches shared a perfunctory, reserved embrace, and it quickly became apparent that Mourinho had instructed his team to quiet the crowd by delaying the game and lowering the temperature whenever possible.

Key Moments and Turning Points

Benfica's tactic yielded varied results, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to break through the backline, they at first struggled to create clear chances.

Additionally, the Belgian attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost demonstrated scoring skill when, after beating the defender behind, he forced Nick Pope with a tremendous strike that required an excellent single-hand stop. No wonder the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team recall in time for the global tournament.

Yet when Lukebakio hit another shot off the post, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy shot off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent near-post stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last broke the deadlock.

The England winger's scorching pace had created problems for the Benfica coach all evening, and he neatly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early cross into the area proved effective.

When the Magpies' intense, pressing game was not second-guessed by Benfica, Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was there to deliver a ground ball across the goal for Gordon to finish.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now their players attacked with total abandon. Lukebakio consistently showed an ability to destabilize Howe's back four, and the Magpies were probably relieved to reset at half-time.

The first half concluded with Pope again saving his team by diverting Lukebakio's left-foot wide of the post, and as the sides came out for the second half, the match seemed evenly poised.

While Anthony Gordon, clearly buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League games this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger set to shift the power balance in Newcastle's favor, the Benfica attacker had different ideas.

Mourinho's winger had previously shown that, while Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a natural full-back, and Newcastle hearts were nervous every time he moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Miley, filling in for Tonali, not headed a corner above the crossbar from a well-placed position. Instead, this absorbing contest continued to swing from end to end, persuading the coach to introduce Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

The Benfica boss, at the same time, brought on an additional forward in Franjo Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a risk too far.

Harvey Barnes Wins the Match

Until then, the away team, and especially their Portugal defender Silva, had performed a good job in limiting Nick Woltemade's room and forcing the German centre-forward back. However, with right-back Dedic off, the backline was underpowered, and the path was open for Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only attacking wide player.

Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a wonderful throw in Barnes's direction. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the flight, Barnes was away, accelerating into the penalty box before maintaining impressive poise to lash a sublime strike past Trubin.

After Barnes slid a shot through unfortunate the goalkeeper's feet after receiving Anthony Gordon's excellent pass, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that Newcastle have several quick wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had shattered his hopes of earning Benfica's first European result of the season.