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As the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and complimented Eddie Howe and his players, home fans were concerned about a tough match. However such fears vanished thanks to a strike from the winger and a brace from substitute Harvey Barnes, ensuring Benfica's coach did not inflict any trouble for Newcastle.

Match Dynamics and Initial Exchanges

Mourinho had forecast that the home side would be very physical, but his own team displayed their similar combative approach. The visitors clearly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's early efforts to establish a fluent attacking rhythm.

Compounding the home team's issues, key players, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they continued convalescing from sickness and a knock respectively.

Before kick-off, the two managers shared a brief, cool greeting, and it soon became clear that Mourinho had told his side to subdue the crowd by delaying Newcastle and reducing the intensity at every chance.

Key Moments and Decisive Actions

The visitors' strategy produced varied results, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to break through the backline, they at first struggled to generate clear opportunities.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost showed scoring skill when, after beating Dan Burn on the ground, he forced Nick Pope with a tremendous shot that got an terrific one-handed save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team return in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger hit a further attempt against the post, the home side roused themselves. Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent close-range save from Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the deadlock.

The England winger's scorching pace had created problems for the Benfica coach all night, and he calmly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's quick cross into the area proved effective.

When Newcastle's hard, high press was not anticipated by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to deliver a ground ball across the goal for the winger to finish.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Changes

From the beginning, Benfica could not be blamed of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now their players attacked with total freedom. Lukebakio repeatedly displayed an skill to unsettle Howe's defense, and the Magpies were probably grateful to regroup at half-time.

The opening period ended with the keeper once more rescuing his side by tipping Lukebakio's left-foot wide of the goal frame, and as the sides emerged for the next period, everything seemed finely poised.

If Gordon, clearly buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League appearances this season, played with the determination of a winger aiming to alter the power balance in his team's favor, the Benfica attacker had other plans.

The manager's winger had previously shown that, while Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a natural left-back, and Newcastle fans were nervous every time Lukebakio moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece above the bar from a well-placed position. Instead, this thrilling contest continued to move from end to end, persuading the coach to bring on the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

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

Barnes Seals the Game

Until then, the away team, and especially their Portugal back Antonio Silva, had done a fine job in limiting Woltemade's space and pushing the German striker deep. But now, with right-back Dedic off, the backline was underpowered, and the way was open for Barnes to prove that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.

The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a wonderful long throw in Barnes's direction. When Silva, for once, misread the bounce, Barnes was clear, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining impressive poise to lash a sublime strike past Trubin.

After Harvey Barnes rolled a shot through poor the goalkeeper's legs after receiving Gordon's excellent through ball, it was all over. Mourinho had warned that the Magpies have several very fast wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had shattered his hopes of earning the team's first Champions League points of the campaign.