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When the Benfica manager came at Newcastle's stadium and complimented Newcastle's coach and his squad, home fans were concerned about a tough game. But such fears disappeared thanks to a goal from the winger and two more from substitute the forward, ensuring the visitors' new manager did not inflict pain for Howe's team.

Game Dynamics and Early Exchanges

Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be very physical, but his own team displayed their own aggressive style. Benfica clearly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's early attempts to establish a fluent attacking tempo.

Compounding Newcastle's challenges, key players, Tonali and Joelinton, began as substitutes as they were convalescing from sickness and a knock each.

Before kick-off, the coaches shared a perfunctory, cool embrace, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his team to quiet the home fans by slowing Newcastle and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Critical Events and Turning Points

The visitors' tactic produced mixed outcomes, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to dismantle the defensive barricades, they initially found it hard to create clear chances.

Moreover, the Belgian attacker Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous strike that required an terrific single-hand stop. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team recall in time for the global tournament.

Yet when Lukebakio hit another attempt off the woodwork, Newcastle roused themselves. Jacob Murphy shot wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range stop from Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the scoreless tie.

The England winger's blazing pace had created problems for Mourinho all evening, and he calmly side-footed the opener past Trubin after his teammate's quick cross into the area paid off.

On the occasion Newcastle's hard, high press was not second-guessed by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was available to pass a low cross across the goal for Gordon to polish off.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their players attacked with real abandon. The winger repeatedly displayed an skill to unsettle Howe's back four, and the home team were probably relieved to regroup at half-time.

The opening period ended with Pope again rescuing his team by tipping Lukebakio's shot wide of the post, and as the sides came out for the next period, the match seemed finely balanced.

While Gordon, clearly buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three European appearances this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger set to alter the power balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had different ideas.

Mourinho's winger had already shown that, while Dan Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a born left-back, and home fans were nervous every time he moved forward.

Howe might have relaxed had Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not directed a set-piece above the bar from a good position. Rather, this absorbing contest continued to move from end to end, prompting the coach to introduce the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, brought on an extra forward in Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a gamble that backfired.

Barnes Wins the Match

Before that, the away team, and especially their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had done a good job in restricting Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's German centre-forward back. But now, with right-back Amar Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the path was clear for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring winger.

The home side's double substitution was already paying off by the time Pope sent a wonderful throw in Barnes's direction. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the bounce, the winger was clear, accelerating into the penalty box before maintaining commendable composure to lash a sublime strike past Trubin.

When Harvey Barnes slid a shot through poor the goalkeeper's legs after receiving Anthony Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. Mourinho had cautioned that Newcastle have several very fast wide attackers, and three goals from two wide men had shattered his chances of earning the team's first European points of the campaign.