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When the Benfica manager came at St James' Park and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, home supporters feared a difficult match. But such worries disappeared due to a strike from the winger and two more from substitute Harvey Barnes, ensuring the visitors' new manager did not inflict pain for Howe's team.

Game Dynamics and Initial Exchanges

The Benfica boss had forecast that the home side would be very physical, but his Benfica players showed their similar aggressive style. The visitors certainly enjoyed disrupting the Magpies' early efforts to establish a fluent passing tempo.

Compounding Newcastle's challenges, two players, Tonali and Joelinton, started on the bench as they were convalescing from illness and a knock each.

Before the start, the coaches exchanged a brief, reserved embrace, and it soon became apparent that Mourinho had instructed his team to quiet the home fans by delaying the game and lowering the temperature whenever possible.

Critical Events and Decisive Actions

Benfica's tactic yielded mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack managed to break through the backline, they initially found it hard to create good chances.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgian attacker Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after leaving the defender behind, he forced Nick Pope with a tremendous shot that required an terrific single-hand stop. No wonder Pope still hopes for an England return in time for the global tournament.

But when Lukebakio hit a further attempt against the woodwork, Newcastle roused themselves. Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive near-post save from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last broke the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching speed had caused consternation for Mourinho all night, and he neatly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's quick cross into the box paid off.

On the occasion the Magpies' hard, high press was not second-guessed by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was there to pass a low ball across the goal for the winger to polish off.

Later Stages and Match-Winning Changes

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of parking the bus and seeking a point, but now their players attacked with total freedom. Lukebakio repeatedly showed an skill to destabilize Newcastle's back four, and the Magpies were likely grateful to regroup at the break.

The first half ended with Pope once more rescuing his side by diverting the attacker's left-foot wide of the goal frame, and as the sides emerged for the second half, the match seemed evenly poised.

If Gordon, clearly buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three European appearances this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger set to shift the balance in Newcastle's favor, Lukebakio had other ideas.

The manager's winger had previously emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born full-back, and home hearts were nervous every time Lukebakio advanced.

Howe might have felt easier had Miley, deputising for Tonali, not directed a corner above the bar from a good position. Instead, this absorbing contest continued to swing from one goal to the other, prompting the manager to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, brought on an additional forward in Franjo Ivanovic. It would arguably prove a risk too far.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Game

Before that, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese back Silva, had performed a fine job in limiting Woltemade's room and forcing the German centre-forward back. However, with right-back Amar Dedic off, the backline was underpowered, and the path was open for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.

Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper sent a wonderful long throw in the substitute's path. When Silva, for once, misjudged the flight, Barnes was away, sprinting into the penalty box before keeping impressive poise to lash a superb strike past the keeper.

When Harvey Barnes rolled a low effort through unfortunate Trubin's legs after receiving Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. The Benfica manager had cautioned that the Magpies have several very fast wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had shattered his hopes of securing Benfica's first Champions League points of the season.