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When Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, home supporters were concerned about a tough match. But such worries disappeared thanks to a strike from the winger and a brace from substitute the forward, ensuring Benfica's new manager would not cause pain for Howe's team.

Game Flow and Early Exchanges

The Benfica boss had predicted that Newcastle would be very physical, but his Benfica players displayed their own aggressive style. The visitors clearly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's early efforts to build a fluent attacking tempo.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, two players, Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they continued recovering from sickness and a knock each.

Before the start, the coaches shared a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it soon became apparent that Mourinho had instructed his team to quiet the crowd by slowing Newcastle and reducing the intensity at every chance.

Critical Moments and Decisive Actions

Benfica's tactic produced varied outcomes, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle Benfica's backline, they at first found it hard to create good opportunities.

Moreover, the Belgian winger Dodi Lukebakio nearly showed how to finish when, after leaving the defender behind, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful strike that got an excellent one-handed stop. No wonder Pope retains hope for an England return in time for the global tournament.

Yet when Lukebakio directed a further attempt against the woodwork, Newcastle roused themselves. Jacob Murphy fired off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

The England winger's blazing pace had created problems for the Benfica coach all evening, and he calmly slotted the first goal past the goalkeeper after Murphy's quick ball into the box proved effective.

On the occasion the Magpies' hard, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Murphy, chosen over the expensive signing, was available to deliver a low cross across the goal for Gordon to polish off.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Substitutions

From the beginning, Benfica could not be accused of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's side pushed forward with real freedom. Lukebakio repeatedly displayed an ability to unsettle Howe's defense, and the Magpies were probably relieved to reset at half-time.

The first half concluded with Pope once more rescuing his team by tipping the attacker's shot around the post, and as the teams emerged for the second half, the match seemed finely balanced.

If Gordon, clearly buoyed by netting his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this campaign, played with the zeal of a wide player aiming to alter the balance in his team's favor, Lukebakio had different plans.

The manager's No 11 had previously shown that, while Dan Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a born left-back, and home fans were in mouths every time he advanced.

Howe might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner over the crossbar from a good position. Instead, this absorbing game continued to swing from end to end, persuading the coach to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.

Mourinho, at the same time, threw on an additional forward in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a gamble that backfired.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Match

Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portugal back Antonio Silva, had performed a fine job in restricting Nick Woltemade's room and forcing Newcastle's Germany striker back. However, with defender Dedic off, the backline was weakened, and the path was clear for Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only attacking winger.

The home side's two changes was already proving effective by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful long throw in the substitute's direction. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misjudged the bounce, the winger was away, sprinting into the area before keeping commendable composure to fire a sublime strike past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes rolled a shot through poor the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's stellar through ball, it was all over. Mourinho had warned that Newcastle have several very fast wingers, and three goals from two wide men had shattered his hopes of earning the team's first European points of the season.