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As Jose Mourinho came at Newcastle's stadium and complimented Newcastle's coach and his players, home fans feared a difficult game. However such worries disappeared thanks to a goal from Anthony Gordon and two more from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring the visitors' new manager would not cause pain for Howe's team.

Match Flow and Early Exchanges

The Benfica boss had forecast that the home side would be very physical, but his own team displayed their own aggressive approach. Benfica clearly enjoyed breaking up the Magpies' initial attempts to establish a fluent attacking tempo.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, key players, Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they continued convalescing from illness and a knock each.

Before kick-off, the two managers shared a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it quickly became clear that Mourinho had told his side to quiet the home fans by slowing the game and lowering the temperature at every chance.

Critical Moments and Turning Points

Benfica's tactic yielded varied outcomes, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to dismantle the defensive barricades, they at first struggled to generate good opportunities.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after beating Dan Burn behind, he forced Nick Pope with a tremendous shot that got an excellent single-hand stop. It's no surprise the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team recall in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger directed another shot off the post, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy shot wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive near-post stop from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last opened the deadlock.

Gordon's blazing speed had created problems for Mourinho all evening, and he calmly side-footed the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's early ball into the area proved effective.

On the occasion Newcastle's hard, pressing game was not anticipated by Benfica, Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was there to pass a low cross across the goal for the winger to finish.

Second Half and Decisive Changes

Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now their players pushed forward with real freedom. The winger repeatedly displayed an skill to unsettle Howe's defense, and the Magpies were likely relieved to reset at the break.

The opening period ended with Pope once more saving his side by diverting the attacker's left-foot around the post, and as the sides came out for the second half, everything seemed finely poised.

If Anthony Gordon, evidently boosted by netting his fourth strike in three European games this campaign, played with the determination of a winger set to shift the power balance in his team's favor, Lukebakio had other plans.

Mourinho's winger had already shown that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a natural left-back, and Newcastle fans were nervous every time he moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not directed a corner over the crossbar from a good spot. Rather, this absorbing contest continued to move from one goal to the other, persuading Newcastle's coach to bring on Joelinton and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, brought on an additional striker in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a gamble too far.

Harvey Barnes Wins the Game

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had done a fine job in limiting Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's Germany striker back. But now, with defender Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the path was open for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.

Newcastle's double substitution was already paying off by the time Pope sent a superb throw in the substitute's path. When Silva, for once, misjudged the flight, Barnes was away, accelerating into the area before keeping impressive poise to lash a sublime shot past Trubin.

When Barnes rolled a shot through poor the goalkeeper's legs after receiving Gordon's excellent pass, it was all over. The Benfica manager had cautioned that the Magpies have several very fast wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had shattered his hopes of earning Benfica's first European points of the season.