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When the Benfica manager came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, home supporters feared a difficult game. However such fears disappeared thanks to a strike from Anthony Gordon and two more from substitute the forward, ensuring Benfica's coach would not cause any trouble for Howe's team.

Match Flow and Initial Exchanges

The Benfica boss had predicted that Newcastle would be very physical, but his Benfica players showed their own aggressive approach. Benfica clearly enjoyed breaking up Newcastle's early efforts to establish a fluent attacking rhythm.

Compounding the home team's issues, key players, Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they were recovering from sickness and injury respectively.

Prior to the start, the coaches shared a perfunctory, cool embrace, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his side to subdue the home fans by delaying the game and lowering the temperature at every chance.

Critical Moments and Turning Points

Benfica's tactic produced mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle the backline, they at first found it hard to generate good opportunities.

Moreover, the Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving the defender behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous strike that got an terrific single-hand stop. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an England return in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger hit a further shot off the post, the home side roused themselves. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon at last broke the scoreless tie.

Gordon's blazing pace had caused consternation for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly side-footed the first goal past Trubin after Murphy's quick ball into the box paid off.

On the occasion Newcastle's hard, high press was not anticipated by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was there to deliver a low ball across the face of goal for Gordon to polish off.

Later Stages and Decisive Substitutions

From the beginning, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's players attacked with total abandon. Lukebakio consistently showed an skill to unsettle Howe's defense, and the Magpies were probably relieved to regroup at half-time.

The opening period ended with Pope once more rescuing his team by tipping Lukebakio's shot around the goal frame, and as the teams emerged for the second half, the match seemed finely poised.

If Gordon, clearly boosted by netting his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger set to alter the power balance in Newcastle's direction, the Benfica attacker had different plans.

Mourinho's No 11 had previously shown that, while Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born full-back, and Newcastle fans were nervous every time he moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a corner over the crossbar from a well-placed spot. Instead, this absorbing game continued to swing from one goal to the other, persuading the coach to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

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

Barnes Wins the Match

Before that, Benfica, and especially their Portugal back Antonio Silva, had done a good job in restricting Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's German striker deep. But now, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the defense was weakened, and the path was open for Harvey Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring wide player.

Newcastle's two changes was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a wonderful throw in Barnes's path. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the bounce, Barnes was away, accelerating into the penalty box before keeping impressive composure to fire a sublime shot past the keeper.

When Barnes rolled a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's excellent pass, it was all over. The Benfica manager had cautioned that Newcastle have several quick wingers, and three goals from a pair of wide men had shattered his hopes of earning the team's first Champions League result of the campaign.