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As Jose Mourinho arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Newcastle's coach and his squad, home supporters feared a difficult game. However those fears disappeared due to a strike from Anthony Gordon and a brace from replacement the forward, ensuring the visitors' new manager would not cause pain for Newcastle.

Match Dynamics and Early Exchanges

The Benfica boss had forecast that the home side would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their own aggressive style. Benfica clearly delighted in disrupting the Magpies' initial attempts to establish a fluent attacking tempo.

Compounding Newcastle's issues, two midfielders, Tonali and Joelinton, began as substitutes as they continued recovering from sickness and injury each.

Before the start, the two managers shared a perfunctory, reserved embrace, and it quickly became clear that the Benfica coach had instructed his team to quiet the home fans by slowing the game and reducing the intensity whenever possible.

Key Events and Turning Points

The visitors' strategy produced mixed results, but when Gordon and his teammates managed to dismantle the backline, they at first found it hard to generate clear chances.

Moreover, the Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after beating Dan Burn behind, he tested Nick Pope with a tremendous shot that got an terrific one-handed save. It's no surprise Pope retains hope for an England return in time for the global tournament.

But when the winger hit a further attempt against the post, the home side woke up. Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive near-post stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last broke the scoreless tie.

Gordon's blazing pace had created consternation for the Benfica coach all evening, and he neatly side-footed the opener past the goalkeeper after Murphy's quick cross into the area proved effective.

On the occasion Newcastle's hard, high press was not second-guessed by Benfica, Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was there to deliver a low ball across the face of goal for the winger to finish.

Later Stages and Decisive Changes

From the beginning, Benfica could not be accused of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their side pushed forward with real freedom. The winger consistently showed an ability to destabilize Howe's defense, and the Magpies were likely grateful to regroup at half-time.

The opening period ended with Pope again rescuing his side by diverting the attacker's left-foot around the post, and as the teams came out for the next period, everything seemed finely poised.

If Anthony Gordon, clearly buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three Champions League games this campaign, played with the determination of a wide player aiming to shift the balance in his team's direction, Lukebakio had other plans.

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

The Newcastle manager might have relaxed had Lewis Miley, deputising for Tonali, not headed a set-piece over the crossbar from a good position. Rather, this absorbing contest continued to swing from one goal to the other, prompting the manager to introduce the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, meanwhile, brought on an extra striker in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk too far.

Barnes Wins the Game

Before that, Benfica, and in particular their Portuguese defender Silva, had performed a good job in limiting Woltemade's room and forcing the German centre-forward deep. But now, with right-back Amar Dedic off, the defense was weakened, and the path was clear for Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring wide player.

The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful long throw in the substitute's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misjudged the flight, Barnes was away, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining impressive poise to lash a superb shot past Trubin.

When Barnes rolled a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's legs after meeting Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. The Benfica manager had cautioned that the Magpies have several very fast wide attackers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had destroyed his chances of securing Benfica's first Champions League points of the campaign.