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As Jose Mourinho came at St James' Park and complimented Newcastle's coach and his squad, home supporters feared a tough game. However those fears disappeared due to a strike from the winger and two more from substitute Harvey Barnes, ensuring Benfica's new manager would not cause any trouble for Howe's team.

Game Dynamics and Initial Exchanges

The Benfica boss had forecast that Newcastle would be very physical, but his Benfica players displayed their similar aggressive style. Benfica certainly delighted in disrupting Newcastle's early efforts to establish a fluent attacking rhythm.

Adding to the home team's issues, two midfielders, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they continued convalescing from illness and injury each.

Before the start, the coaches exchanged a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it soon became apparent that the Benfica coach had instructed his side to subdue the crowd by slowing Newcastle and reducing the intensity whenever possible.

Key Events and Decisive Actions

The visitors' strategy yielded mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to break through the backline, they at first struggled to create clear opportunities.

Moreover, the Belgium winger Lukebakio nearly showed scoring skill when, after leaving the defender behind, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful strike that required an terrific single-hand save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper still hopes for an England recall in time for the World Cup.

Yet when Lukebakio hit a further shot off the post, Newcastle roused themselves. Jacob Murphy fired off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the scoreless tie.

The England winger's scorching speed had caused problems for Mourinho all evening, and he calmly side-footed the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's early cross into the area paid off.

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

Second Half and Decisive Changes

Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be accused of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's side pushed forward with real abandon. The winger repeatedly showed an ability to unsettle Newcastle's back four, and the Magpies were likely grateful to regroup at the break.

The opening period concluded with Pope again saving his side by diverting Lukebakio's shot around the goal frame, and as the teams came out for the second half, the match seemed finely balanced.

While Anthony Gordon, clearly boosted by netting his fourth strike in three European games this season, played with the determination of a winger aiming to alter the balance in his team's direction, Lukebakio had other plans.

The manager's No 11 had already shown that, while Dan Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a born left-back, and home fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not directed a corner over the bar from a good spot. Rather, this absorbing game continued to move from one goal to the other, prompting Newcastle's manager to bring on the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, threw on an extra striker in Franjo Ivanovic. This would arguably prove a risk that backfired.

Harvey Barnes Wins the Match

Until then, the away team, and especially their Portugal back Antonio Silva, had performed a fine job in restricting Nick Woltemade's space and pushing Newcastle's German centre-forward deep. However, with right-back Dedic off, the backline was underpowered, and the way was open for Harvey Barnes to show that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.

Newcastle's two changes was already paying off by the time the goalkeeper dispatched a wonderful long throw in the substitute's direction. When Antonio Silva, on this occasion, misread the bounce, the winger was clear, sprinting into the penalty box before maintaining commendable poise to lash a sublime strike past Trubin.

When Harvey Barnes slid a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's legs after meeting Gordon's excellent through ball, it was all over. Mourinho had warned that the Magpies have four very fast wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had destroyed his chances of securing the team's first Champions League points of the campaign.