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When the Benfica manager arrived at Newcastle's stadium and complimented Eddie Howe and his players, local fans feared a difficult match. However those fears disappeared thanks to a goal from the winger and a brace from substitute the forward, making sure Benfica's coach would not cause pain for Newcastle.

Game Dynamics and Initial Exchanges

Mourinho had forecast that Newcastle would be very physical, but his Benfica players displayed their similar combative style. Benfica certainly delighted in breaking up Newcastle's early attempts to establish a fluent attacking rhythm.

Compounding the home team's issues, two midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, began as substitutes as they were convalescing from illness and a knock each.

Prior to kick-off, the coaches shared a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it quickly became apparent that the Benfica coach had told his team to subdue the crowd by delaying Newcastle and reducing the temperature whenever possible.

Critical Events and Decisive Actions

Benfica's strategy yielded varied results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates succeeded to break through the backline, they initially struggled to generate good opportunities.

Additionally, the Belgium attacker Lukebakio nearly showed scoring skill when, after beating the defender on the ground, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous shot that got an excellent single-hand save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team return in time for the global tournament.

But when Lukebakio hit a further shot against the post, the home side woke up. Murphy shot wide, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive close-range save from Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching pace had created problems for the Benfica coach all evening, and he calmly side-footed the first goal past the goalkeeper after his teammate's quick ball into the area proved effective.

When Newcastle's intense, high press was not second-guessed by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was available to pass a low ball across the face of goal for Gordon to finish.

Second Half and Decisive Changes

Right from the start, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their side pushed forward with total abandon. The winger consistently displayed an ability to destabilize Newcastle's back four, 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 wide of the post, and as the teams came out for the second half, the match seemed finely poised.

While Anthony Gordon, clearly buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three European appearances this campaign, played with the determination of a winger aiming to alter the balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had different ideas.

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

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner over the crossbar from a well-placed position. Rather, this thrilling contest continued to move from end to end, prompting the coach to bring on Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, at the same time, brought on an extra forward in Franjo Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a gamble too far.

Barnes Seals the Game

Until then, Benfica, and especially their Portugal back Silva, had performed a good job in limiting Woltemade's space and pushing the German centre-forward deep. But now, with right-back Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the way was clear for Harvey Barnes to show that Gordon is not the manager's only attacking wide player.

Newcastle's two changes was already proving effective by the time Pope sent a wonderful long throw in the substitute's path. When Silva, for once, misread the bounce, the winger was clear, accelerating into the area before maintaining impressive composure to fire a superb shot past the keeper.

After Barnes rolled a low effort through unfortunate the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's stellar through ball, it was all over. The Benfica manager had warned that the Magpies have several very fast wide attackers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had destroyed his chances of earning the team's first European points of the campaign.