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As the Benfica manager arrived at St James' Park and praised Eddie Howe and his players, local supporters feared a tough game. But those fears vanished thanks to a strike from Anthony Gordon and two more from substitute the forward, ensuring Benfica's coach would not cause any trouble for Howe's team.

Game Dynamics and Early Exchanges

The Benfica boss had forecast that Newcastle would be very physical, but his Benfica players showed their own aggressive style. The visitors clearly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's early efforts to establish a fluent passing tempo.

Adding to Newcastle's issues, key midfielders, Sandro Tonali and the Brazilian, began as substitutes as they were convalescing from illness and injury each.

Before kick-off, the coaches exchanged a perfunctory, reserved embrace, and it quickly became apparent that Mourinho had told his side to subdue the crowd by delaying the game and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Key Moments and Turning Points

Benfica's tactic produced mixed outcomes, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle Benfica's defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to generate good chances.

Moreover, Benfica's Belgium attacker Lukebakio nearly showed how to finish when, after beating Dan Burn behind, he tested Nick Pope with a tremendous strike that got an excellent one-handed save. No wonder the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team recall in time for the World Cup.

But when Lukebakio directed a further attempt off the woodwork, the home side roused themselves. Murphy shot off target, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

The England winger's blazing speed had caused consternation for the Benfica coach all evening, and he calmly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's quick cross into the area paid off.

On the occasion Newcastle's hard, high press was not anticipated by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to deliver a low ball across the goal for Gordon to finish.

Second Half and Decisive Changes

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's players pushed forward with total freedom. Lukebakio repeatedly displayed an skill to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the Magpies were probably grateful to regroup at the break.

The first half concluded with the keeper again rescuing his team by diverting the attacker's shot around the post, and as the sides emerged for the second half, everything seemed finely balanced.

If Anthony Gordon, clearly boosted by netting his fourth goal in three European games this season, played with the zeal of a winger aiming to shift the balance in his team's direction, the Benfica attacker had different plans.

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

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a set-piece above the crossbar from a well-placed position. Instead, this absorbing game continued to swing 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, meanwhile, brought on an additional striker in Franjo Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a risk too far.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Game

Until then, Benfica, and in particular their Portuguese back Antonio Silva, had performed a good job in limiting Woltemade's space and forcing the Germany striker deep. But now, with defender Amar Dedic off, the backline was weakened, and the path was clear for Barnes to prove that Anthony Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring winger.

The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a superb long throw in the substitute's path. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the bounce, the winger was away, accelerating into the area before maintaining commendable composure to fire a sublime strike past Trubin.

When Barnes slid a low effort through poor Trubin's legs after receiving Anthony Gordon's stellar pass, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that Newcastle have several quick wingers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wide men had shattered his hopes of securing Benfica's first European points of the campaign.