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As the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, home supporters were concerned about a tough game. However such worries vanished due to a strike from the winger and a brace from substitute the forward, ensuring the visitors' coach would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.

Match Flow and Early Action

Mourinho had forecast that the home side would be very physical, but his Benfica players showed their own combative style. The visitors certainly enjoyed breaking up the Magpies' early attempts to build a smooth passing tempo.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, two midfielders, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, began as substitutes as they were recovering from sickness and a knock respectively.

Prior to kick-off, the coaches shared a brief, reserved embrace, and it soon became clear that Mourinho had told his team to subdue the home fans by delaying the game and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Key Moments and Turning Points

The visitors' strategy produced varied outcomes, but when Gordon and his teammates succeeded to dismantle the backline, they initially found it hard to generate good chances.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgium winger Dodi Lukebakio nearly demonstrated scoring skill when, after leaving the defender on the ground, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that got an excellent one-handed stop. No wonder the goalkeeper retains hope for an England return in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger directed another shot off the woodwork, Newcastle roused themselves. Jacob Murphy shot wide, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent close-range stop from Guimaraes before Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

The England winger's scorching pace had caused problems for Mourinho all evening, and he neatly side-footed the first goal past the goalkeeper after Murphy's quick cross into the box paid off.

When Newcastle's hard, pressing game was not second-guessed by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to deliver a ground ball across the face of goal for the winger to polish off.

Second Half and Match-Winning Substitutions

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their players pushed forward with real abandon. The winger consistently displayed an ability to destabilize Howe's defense, and the Magpies were likely grateful to regroup at half-time.

The first half ended with the keeper again rescuing his team by diverting Lukebakio's shot wide of the post, and as the teams emerged for the second half, the match seemed finely poised.

If Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth goal in three European appearances this season, played with the determination of a winger aiming to shift the balance in Newcastle's direction, Lukebakio had different ideas.

Mourinho's winger had already emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a born left-back, and home fans were in mouths every time he advanced.

Howe might have felt easier had Miley, deputising for Tonali, not headed a set-piece over the bar from a well-placed spot. Rather, this absorbing contest continued to move from one goal to the other, persuading the coach to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, threw on an extra striker in Ivanovic. This would perhaps prove a risk too far.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Match

Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portugal defender Silva, had performed a fine job in restricting Woltemade's room and pushing the German centre-forward back. But now, with defender Amar Dedic substituted, the backline was weakened, and the path was clear for Harvey Barnes to show that 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, for once, misjudged the flight, the winger was clear, accelerating into the area before keeping commendable composure to lash a superb strike past the keeper.

After Barnes slid a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's legs after meeting Anthony Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that Newcastle have several quick wide attackers, and three goals from a pair of wide men had destroyed his hopes of earning Benfica's first Champions League points of the season.