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As Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his squad, home supporters were concerned about a tough match. However those worries disappeared thanks to a strike from the winger and two more from substitute the forward, making sure the visitors' coach would not cause pain for Howe's team.

Game Flow and Initial Action

Mourinho had predicted that Newcastle would be very physical, but his own team showed their similar combative approach. Benfica certainly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's initial efforts to establish a smooth passing tempo.

Adding to the home team's challenges, two midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they continued recovering from sickness and injury each.

Before kick-off, the coaches shared a brief, reserved greeting, and it quickly became clear that Mourinho had instructed his team to subdue the home fans by slowing the game and reducing the temperature whenever possible.

Critical Events and Turning Points

The visitors' strategy yielded mixed outcomes, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle the defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to generate good chances.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgium attacker Lukebakio almost demonstrated scoring skill when, after beating the defender behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that required an terrific one-handed save. No wonder Pope still hopes for an national team return in time for the World Cup.

Yet when Lukebakio directed another shot against the post, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the scoreless tie.

Gordon's scorching speed had caused problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly side-footed the first goal past Trubin after his teammate's early cross into the area proved effective.

On the occasion the Magpies' hard, pressing game was not second-guessed by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to deliver a ground cross across the goal for Gordon to polish off.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Changes

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their side attacked with total freedom. The winger consistently displayed an ability to destabilize Newcastle's back four, and the home team were probably relieved to reset at half-time.

The first half concluded with the keeper once more rescuing his side by tipping Lukebakio's shot around the post, and as the teams came out for the next period, everything seemed finely poised.

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

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

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a corner over the bar from a good spot. Instead, this thrilling game continued to swing from one goal to the other, persuading Newcastle's manager to bring on the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, at the same time, threw on an extra forward in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk too far.

Barnes Seals the Game

Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portugal back Antonio Silva, had performed a fine job in limiting Woltemade's space and pushing the German striker deep. But now, with right-back Dedic off, the defense was weakened, and the way was clear for Harvey Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking wide player.

The home side's double substitution was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a wonderful long throw in Barnes's direction. When Antonio Silva, for once, misjudged the flight, the winger was clear, sprinting into the area before maintaining impressive composure to lash a superb strike past Trubin.

After Harvey Barnes slid a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's stellar pass, it was finished. The Benfica manager had cautioned that Newcastle have four very fast wingers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had destroyed his chances of earning Benfica's first Champions League points of the season.