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When Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, local supporters feared a difficult match. But such worries disappeared thanks to a strike from the winger and a brace from substitute Harvey Barnes, making sure the visitors' coach would not cause any trouble for Newcastle.

Match Dynamics and Early Exchanges

Mourinho had predicted that the home side would be very physical, but his own team displayed their similar aggressive style. Benfica certainly delighted in breaking up Newcastle's initial attempts to establish a fluent passing tempo.

Compounding Newcastle's issues, key midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, began as substitutes as they were convalescing from illness and a knock respectively.

Before the start, the coaches shared a brief, reserved greeting, and it soon became clear that the Benfica coach had told his team to subdue the crowd by delaying Newcastle and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Critical Events and Turning Points

The visitors' tactic yielded varied results, but when Gordon and his teammates succeeded to break through Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first struggled to create good opportunities.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgium winger Lukebakio nearly demonstrated how to finish when, after beating the defender on the ground, he forced Nick Pope with a powerful shot that got an terrific one-handed stop. No wonder the goalkeeper still hopes for an England recall in time for the global tournament.

Yet when Lukebakio directed a further attempt against the woodwork, the home side woke up. Murphy fired off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range save from Guimaraes before Gordon at last opened the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching pace had caused problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly side-footed the opener past Trubin after Murphy's quick ball into the box paid off.

On the occasion the Magpies' intense, pressing game was not second-guessed by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was there to pass a low cross across the face of goal for Gordon to finish.

Second Half and Match-Winning Changes

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's players attacked with total abandon. Lukebakio consistently displayed an ability to unsettle Howe's back four, and the Magpies were probably relieved to regroup at the break.

The first half ended with the keeper once more saving his team by diverting Lukebakio's shot around the post, and as the sides emerged for the next period, the match seemed evenly poised.

While Gordon, clearly boosted by scoring his fourth goal in three European appearances this season, played with the determination of a winger set to shift the power balance in his team's favor, the Benfica attacker had other ideas.

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

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, deputising for Tonali, not directed a corner over the crossbar from a well-placed spot. Rather, this thrilling game continued to swing from one goal to the other, prompting Newcastle's manager to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, brought on an additional striker in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk that backfired.

Barnes Seals the Game

Before that, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese defender Silva, had performed a good job in limiting Nick Woltemade's space and forcing Newcastle's German centre-forward back. However, with defender Amar Dedic off, the defense was underpowered, and the path was clear for Harvey Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.

The home side's two changes was already proving effective by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a superb long throw in Barnes's direction. When Silva, for once, misjudged the flight, the winger was clear, accelerating into the penalty box before maintaining commendable poise to fire a sublime strike past the keeper.

When Barnes slid a low effort through unfortunate the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's excellent pass, it was finished. Mourinho had cautioned that the Magpies have several very fast wide attackers, and three goals from two wide men had destroyed his chances of securing the team's first European points of the campaign.