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As Jose Mourinho arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, home fans were concerned about a difficult game. But those fears disappeared due to a strike from Anthony Gordon and two more from substitute Harvey Barnes, ensuring the visitors' coach did not inflict any trouble for Newcastle.

Game Flow 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 disrupting the Magpies' early efforts to establish a smooth attacking tempo.

Compounding the home team's issues, key players, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, began on the bench as they continued recovering from sickness and injury respectively.

Before the start, the coaches exchanged a brief, cool embrace, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his team to quiet the crowd by slowing Newcastle and reducing the temperature whenever possible.

Key Events and Decisive Actions

Benfica's strategy yielded varied outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to break through Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to create good opportunities.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost showed scoring skill when, after leaving the defender on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful strike that got an excellent one-handed stop. It's no surprise Pope still hopes for an England recall in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger directed a further shot against the post, Newcastle roused themselves. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive close-range save from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last broke the scoreless tie.

Gordon's blazing speed had caused problems for Mourinho all night, and he calmly side-footed the first goal past the goalkeeper after Murphy's quick ball into the box paid off.

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

Later Stages and Match-Winning Changes

Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's players pushed forward with real abandon. Lukebakio consistently showed an skill to unsettle Howe's back four, and the Magpies were probably grateful to regroup at half-time.

The opening period ended with Pope again rescuing his team by tipping Lukebakio's left-foot around the goal frame, and as the teams came out for the next period, the match seemed finely balanced.

If Gordon, clearly buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League appearances this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger set to alter the power balance in his team's favor, the Benfica attacker had other ideas.

Mourinho's No 11 had already emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a natural full-back, and home fans were in mouths every time he moved forward.

Howe might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece above the bar from a good position. Rather, this absorbing contest continued to swing from end to end, prompting the coach to bring on Joelinton and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, threw on an extra forward in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a gamble too far.

Harvey Barnes Wins the Match

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portuguese defender Antonio Silva, had performed a good job in limiting Woltemade's room and forcing Newcastle's Germany centre-forward deep. However, with right-back Dedic substituted, the defense was underpowered, and the path was open for Harvey Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring wide player.

The home side's double substitution was already proving effective by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful long throw in Barnes's direction. When Silva, on this occasion, misread the bounce, the winger was clear, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining impressive poise to lash a sublime shot past the keeper.

After 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 destroyed his chances of earning the team's first European result of the season.