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As the Benfica manager came at Newcastle's stadium and complimented Eddie Howe and his players, home fans were concerned about a tough game. However such worries vanished due to a strike from Anthony Gordon and a brace from substitute the forward, making sure Benfica's new manager did not inflict any trouble for Howe's team.

Match Dynamics and Early Exchanges

Mourinho had predicted that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their similar combative approach. Benfica certainly delighted in breaking up the Magpies' early efforts to establish a fluent passing tempo.

Compounding Newcastle's issues, key midfielders, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they continued convalescing from illness and injury respectively.

Prior to the start, the coaches shared a perfunctory, reserved embrace, and it quickly became apparent that Mourinho had instructed his side to quiet the home fans by slowing Newcastle and reducing the temperature whenever possible.

Key Moments and Decisive Actions

The visitors' tactic yielded mixed outcomes, but when Gordon and his teammates managed to break through the defensive barricades, they initially found it hard to generate good opportunities.

Moreover, the Belgian winger Lukebakio nearly showed scoring skill when, after beating the defender on the ground, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful strike that got an terrific one-handed stop. No wonder Pope retains hope for an national team recall in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger hit a further shot off the woodwork, the home side roused themselves. Jacob Murphy fired off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive near-post stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last opened the deadlock.

Gordon's blazing speed had caused consternation for Mourinho all night, and he neatly side-footed the first goal past Trubin after his teammate's quick ball into the box paid off.

When the Magpies' intense, high press was not second-guessed by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to pass a low cross across the goal for Gordon to finish.

Second Half and Decisive Changes

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's players pushed forward with real freedom. Lukebakio consistently showed an skill to destabilize Newcastle's back four, and the Magpies were probably relieved to regroup at half-time.

The first half concluded with Pope again saving his side by diverting the attacker's left-foot wide of the goal frame, and as the sides came out for the next period, everything seemed finely poised.

While Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this season, played with the zeal of a winger aiming to alter the power balance in Newcastle's favor, Lukebakio had different ideas.

The manager's No 11 had already shown that, while Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a born left-back, and Newcastle hearts were nervous every time Lukebakio moved forward.

Howe might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a corner above the bar from a good position. Rather, this thrilling game continued to move from one goal to the other, persuading Newcastle's manager to introduce the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

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

Harvey Barnes Seals the Match

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portugal back Antonio Silva, had performed a good job in limiting Woltemade's room and forcing Newcastle's German centre-forward deep. However, with right-back Amar Dedic off, the defense was underpowered, and the way was open for Barnes to prove that Gordon is not the manager's only attacking winger.

Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a superb long throw in Barnes's path. When Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the bounce, the winger was away, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining impressive poise to lash a sublime shot past Trubin.

When Harvey Barnes slid a shot through poor Trubin's legs after meeting Anthony Gordon's stellar through ball, it was all over. The Benfica manager had warned that Newcastle have four very fast wingers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had shattered his hopes of securing the team's first Champions League result of the campaign.