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When Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and complimented Eddie Howe and his squad, home supporters feared a difficult game. But those fears disappeared thanks to a goal from the winger and a brace from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring the visitors' new manager would not cause pain for Howe's team.

Game Dynamics and Initial Exchanges

Mourinho had forecast that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his own team showed their own aggressive approach. Benfica clearly delighted in breaking up Newcastle's initial attempts to build a fluent passing tempo.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, two players, Tonali and the Brazilian, began as substitutes as they continued recovering from illness and injury respectively.

Before the start, the coaches shared a brief, cool embrace, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his side to subdue the crowd by slowing the game and reducing the temperature at every chance.

Key Moments and Decisive Actions

Benfica's strategy yielded mixed results, but when Gordon and his teammates managed to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first struggled to generate clear opportunities.

Additionally, the Belgian attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn behind, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that got an terrific single-hand save. No wonder the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team return in time for the global tournament.

But when Lukebakio directed another shot off the post, Newcastle woke up. Murphy shot wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive near-post save from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last broke the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching speed had created problems for Mourinho all night, and he neatly slotted the first goal past Trubin after Murphy's quick ball into the box paid off.

On the occasion Newcastle's hard, high press was not anticipated by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was available to deliver a low ball across the goal for the winger to polish off.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Changes

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's players pushed forward with total freedom. The winger consistently showed an skill to destabilize Newcastle's back four, and the Magpies were probably grateful to reset at half-time.

The opening period ended with Pope again rescuing his team by diverting the attacker's left-foot around the post, and as the sides came out for the second half, everything seemed evenly balanced.

While Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three European games this season, played with the determination of a winger set to shift the power balance in his team's direction, Lukebakio had different plans.

Mourinho's No 11 had previously shown that, while Dan Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a born full-back, and Newcastle hearts were nervous every time Lukebakio moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not directed a set-piece above the bar from a well-placed spot. Instead, this absorbing contest continued to move from end to end, persuading Newcastle's manager to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, threw on an extra striker in Franjo Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a gamble that backfired.

Harvey Barnes Wins the Game

Until then, Benfica, and especially their Portugal defender Silva, had performed a good job in restricting Nick Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's Germany striker deep. However, with defender Amar Dedic off, the backline was underpowered, and the path was clear for Harvey Barnes to prove that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.

The home side's two changes was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a wonderful long throw in Barnes's direction. When Antonio Silva, for once, misread the flight, the winger was away, accelerating into the area before keeping impressive composure to fire a sublime strike past Trubin.

After Harvey Barnes rolled a low effort through unfortunate the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's stellar through ball, it was all over. Mourinho had cautioned that Newcastle have several very fast wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had shattered his hopes of securing the team's first European result of the season.