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When the Benfica manager arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, local supporters were concerned about a difficult match. But those fears vanished thanks to a strike from the winger and a brace from substitute the forward, making sure the visitors' new manager did not inflict any trouble for Howe's team.

Game Dynamics and Early Action

The Benfica boss had forecast that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his own team showed their own aggressive style. Benfica clearly enjoyed breaking up Newcastle's initial attempts to build a smooth passing tempo.

Compounding the home team's challenges, key players, Tonali and the Brazilian, began as substitutes as they were convalescing from sickness and a knock respectively.

Before the start, the two managers exchanged a perfunctory, reserved embrace, and it quickly became apparent that Mourinho had told his side to subdue the crowd by delaying Newcastle and reducing the intensity whenever possible.

Key Moments and Turning Points

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

Additionally, the Belgium attacker Lukebakio almost showed scoring skill when, after beating the defender on the ground, he tested Nick Pope with a tremendous shot that got an excellent single-hand stop. No wonder the goalkeeper retains hope for an England return in time for the World Cup.

But when Lukebakio hit a further shot off the woodwork, Newcastle roused themselves. Murphy shot wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent near-post save from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon at last opened the deadlock.

Gordon's blazing speed had caused consternation for Mourinho all evening, and he calmly slotted the first goal past the goalkeeper after Murphy's early cross into the area proved effective.

On the occasion Newcastle's intense, high press was not second-guessed by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was available to pass a low cross across the goal for Gordon to polish off.

Second Half and Match-Winning Changes

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their players pushed forward with total freedom. The winger repeatedly displayed an skill to unsettle Howe's defense, and the home team were likely grateful to regroup at the break.

The first half ended with Pope once more rescuing his side by tipping Lukebakio's shot wide of the goal frame, and as the sides emerged for the second half, the match seemed evenly poised.

While Anthony Gordon, evidently boosted by scoring his fourth goal in three Champions League games this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger aiming to shift the balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had different ideas.

Mourinho's No 11 had previously shown that, while Dan Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a natural left-back, and Newcastle fans were nervous every time he moved forward.

Howe might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece over the bar from a good position. Instead, this absorbing game continued to move from end to end, persuading Newcastle's coach to introduce the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, at the same time, threw on an additional forward in Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a gamble that backfired.

Harvey Barnes Wins the Match

Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portugal defender Silva, had performed a good job in limiting Nick Woltemade's room and forcing Newcastle's Germany striker back. But now, with right-back Dedic off, the backline was underpowered, and the path was open for Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring wide player.

Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper sent a superb long throw in Barnes's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misread the bounce, the winger was away, accelerating into the area before maintaining impressive poise to lash a sublime strike past the keeper.

After Barnes slid a shot through unfortunate Trubin's feet after receiving Gordon's stellar pass, it was finished. Mourinho had cautioned that the Magpies have four quick wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wide men had destroyed his chances of securing the team's first Champions League points of the season.