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As the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, home supporters feared a difficult game. However those fears vanished due to a strike from the winger and two more from replacement the forward, making sure the visitors' new manager would not cause pain for Howe's team.

Game Flow and Early Action

Mourinho had forecast that the home side would be very physical, but his own team showed their similar aggressive style. The visitors clearly delighted in disrupting the Magpies' initial efforts to build a fluent attacking rhythm.

Compounding the home team's issues, two midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, started on the bench as they continued recovering from sickness and injury each.

Prior to the start, the coaches exchanged a brief, reserved embrace, and it soon became apparent that Mourinho had told his side to quiet the home fans by delaying Newcastle and lowering the temperature whenever possible.

Key Moments and Turning Points

The visitors' strategy yielded mixed results, but when Gordon and his teammates managed to break through the backline, they at first found it hard to create clear opportunities.

Moreover, the Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost showed scoring skill when, after leaving the defender on the ground, he forced Nick Pope with a powerful shot that required an terrific one-handed stop. It's no surprise Pope still hopes for an national team return in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger directed a further shot against the post, Newcastle woke up. Murphy shot wide, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive close-range save from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the scoreless tie.

The England winger's scorching pace had caused problems for Mourinho all evening, and he calmly side-footed the opener past Trubin after Murphy's early cross into the area proved effective.

When the Magpies' hard, pressing game was not anticipated by Benfica, Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to deliver a ground cross across the goal for the winger to polish off.

Second Half and Decisive Changes

From the beginning, Benfica could not be accused of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now their players attacked with total abandon. The winger repeatedly displayed an ability to destabilize Newcastle's back four, and the Magpies were likely grateful to reset at half-time.

The opening period ended with Pope again rescuing his side by tipping the attacker's left-foot around the goal frame, and as the teams came out for the second half, everything seemed evenly balanced.

If Anthony Gordon, evidently boosted by scoring his fourth goal in three Champions League appearances this campaign, played with the determination of a winger aiming to alter the power balance in Newcastle's direction, the Benfica attacker had other plans.

Mourinho's No 11 had already emphasized that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a natural full-back, and home fans were nervous every time Lukebakio advanced.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a corner over the crossbar from a good position. Instead, this absorbing contest continued to swing from end to end, persuading the coach to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, brought on an additional striker in Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a gamble that backfired.

Barnes Wins the Game

Before that, Benfica, and in particular their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had performed a fine job in limiting Woltemade's room and pushing the Germany centre-forward back. However, with right-back Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the way was open for Harvey Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking winger.

Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a wonderful throw in Barnes's path. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the flight, the winger was away, accelerating into the penalty box before maintaining commendable composure to fire a sublime strike past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes rolled a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's excellent through ball, it was all over. Mourinho had cautioned that the Magpies have four very fast wingers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had destroyed his chances of earning the team's first Champions League result of the campaign.