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When Jose Mourinho arrived at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, home fans feared a tough game. But those fears vanished due to a strike from the winger and two more from replacement Harvey Barnes, ensuring Benfica's coach did not inflict any trouble for Howe's team.

Match Dynamics and Early Exchanges

Mourinho had forecast that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players showed their own aggressive style. The visitors certainly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's early attempts to build a fluent passing tempo.

Adding to the home team's issues, two midfielders, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, began as substitutes as they continued convalescing from illness and a knock each.

Before kick-off, the two managers shared a perfunctory, cool embrace, and it quickly became clear that Mourinho had told his team to subdue the home fans by delaying Newcastle and reducing the temperature at every chance.

Key Moments and Turning Points

The visitors' strategy produced mixed outcomes, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates managed to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to create clear chances.

Additionally, Benfica's Belgian winger Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after beating the defender on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful strike that required an terrific single-hand save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper still hopes for an England recall in time for the global tournament.

Yet when the winger hit another attempt off the woodwork, the home side roused themselves. Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive close-range stop from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last opened the scoreless tie.

The England winger's scorching pace had caused problems for Mourinho all evening, and he neatly side-footed the first goal past Trubin after his teammate's early ball into the area proved effective.

When the Magpies' intense, pressing game was not second-guessed by Benfica, Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to deliver a ground ball across the face of goal for the winger to finish.

Later Stages and Decisive Substitutions

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now their players attacked with real freedom. Lukebakio consistently displayed an ability to destabilize Howe's defense, and the Magpies were likely relieved to regroup at half-time.

The first half ended with Pope once more rescuing his side by tipping the attacker's shot around the post, and as the sides emerged for the next period, the match seemed evenly balanced.

If Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League games this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger aiming to alter the power balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had different ideas.

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

Howe might have relaxed had Miley, deputising for Tonali, not headed a corner over the bar from a well-placed position. Rather, this thrilling contest continued to move from one goal to the other, prompting Newcastle's coach to introduce the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, threw on an extra striker in Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a gamble that backfired.

Barnes Wins the Game

Before that, Benfica, and in particular their Portuguese back Silva, had performed a fine job in restricting Nick Woltemade's space and pushing the German striker back. But now, with right-back Amar Dedic off, the backline was underpowered, and the path was clear for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring winger.

Newcastle's double substitution was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a wonderful long throw in the substitute's direction. When Antonio Silva, for once, misjudged the bounce, the winger was clear, accelerating into the area before maintaining commendable poise to lash a sublime strike past Trubin.

When Harvey Barnes slid a shot through poor Trubin's feet after receiving Anthony Gordon's stellar through ball, it was finished. Mourinho had warned that the Magpies have four quick wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had shattered his hopes of earning the team's first European points of the campaign.