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As Jose Mourinho came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his players, home fans feared a difficult game. However those fears vanished due to a goal from the winger and two more from replacement the forward, ensuring the visitors' new manager did not inflict any trouble for Howe's team.

Match Flow and Initial Action

Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be very physical, but his Benfica players displayed their similar aggressive approach. Benfica certainly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's early efforts to establish a fluent passing rhythm.

Compounding Newcastle's issues, two players, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, started as substitutes as they were recovering from sickness and injury each.

Prior to kick-off, the two managers exchanged a perfunctory, reserved embrace, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his side to quiet the crowd by slowing Newcastle and lowering the temperature at every chance.

Key Events and Decisive Actions

Benfica's tactic yielded mixed outcomes, but when Gordon and his teammates managed to break through Benfica's backline, they initially found it hard to generate good opportunities.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after beating the defender behind, he forced Nick Pope with a tremendous strike that got an excellent single-hand stop. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an England recall in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger hit another shot off the post, the home side roused themselves. Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive close-range save from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the scoreless tie.

Gordon's blazing 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 area proved effective.

When the Magpies' intense, pressing game was not second-guessed by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to deliver a low cross across the face of goal for the winger to finish.

Later Stages and Decisive Changes

Right from the start, Benfica could not be accused of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's players pushed forward with total abandon. The winger repeatedly showed an ability to destabilize Howe's defense, and the Magpies were probably grateful to regroup at half-time.

The first half ended with Pope once more rescuing his team by tipping the attacker's shot around the goal frame, and as the teams came out for the next period, everything seemed evenly poised.

If Gordon, clearly buoyed by netting his fourth strike in three European games this season, played with the zeal of a winger set to alter the balance in Newcastle's direction, Lukebakio had different ideas.

Mourinho's No 11 had previously emphasized that, while Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a born full-back, and Newcastle hearts were nervous every time Lukebakio advanced.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a corner over the bar from a well-placed position. Instead, this thrilling contest continued to move from end to end, persuading the coach to bring on the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, threw on an extra striker in Franjo Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a risk too far.

Barnes Seals the Game

Before that, Benfica, and especially their Portugal defender Antonio Silva, had done a good job in limiting Nick Woltemade's space and pushing the Germany centre-forward back. However, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the path was clear for Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring wide player.

Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a superb long throw in the substitute's direction. When Silva, on this occasion, misread the bounce, Barnes was clear, accelerating into the penalty box before keeping commendable poise to fire a superb strike past Trubin.

When Harvey Barnes slid a shot through unfortunate Trubin's legs after meeting Anthony Gordon's excellent pass, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that the Magpies have four quick wingers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had shattered his chances of earning Benfica's first European result of the campaign.