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When the Benfica manager arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Newcastle's coach and his players, home fans were concerned about a tough match. But such fears vanished due to a goal from Anthony Gordon and two more from substitute Harvey Barnes, ensuring Benfica's coach would not cause pain for Newcastle.

Game Dynamics and Early Action

Mourinho had forecast that the home side would be very physical, but his Benfica players displayed their similar combative style. The visitors clearly enjoyed disrupting the Magpies' initial efforts to build a smooth attacking rhythm.

Adding to Newcastle's challenges, key midfielders, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, started as substitutes as they continued recovering from illness and injury each.

Before the start, the coaches shared a brief, reserved greeting, and it soon became clear that Mourinho had told his side to quiet the home fans by delaying Newcastle and lowering the intensity whenever possible.

Critical Moments 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 opportunities.

Additionally, the Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio nearly showed how to finish when, after leaving the defender on the ground, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a tremendous strike that got an terrific single-hand save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an national team return in time for the World Cup.

Yet when Lukebakio hit a further attempt off the woodwork, the home side woke up. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Anatoliy Trubin made an excellent near-post stop from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon finally broke the deadlock.

Gordon's scorching pace had caused problems for Mourinho all night, and he calmly slotted the first goal past the goalkeeper after Murphy's quick ball into the box paid off.

On the occasion Newcastle's intense, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to pass a ground cross across the goal for Gordon to finish.

Second Half and Decisive Substitutions

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be accused of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now their side attacked with real abandon. The winger repeatedly displayed an skill to unsettle Howe's back four, and the home team were likely relieved to regroup at half-time.

The first half concluded with Pope once more rescuing his side by tipping the attacker's left-foot wide of the post, and as the sides emerged for the second half, the match seemed finely balanced.

While Anthony Gordon, evidently boosted by netting his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this campaign, played with the determination of a winger set to alter the balance in his team's favor, Lukebakio had different plans.

Mourinho's winger had previously emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a born left-back, and Newcastle fans were nervous every time he advanced.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not headed a corner over the crossbar from a good spot. Instead, this absorbing contest continued to move from one goal to the other, prompting Newcastle's manager to bring on Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.

Mourinho, at the same time, threw on an additional forward in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk too far.

Barnes Wins the Game

Before that, the away team, and in particular their Portugal back Antonio Silva, had performed a good job in restricting Nick Woltemade's room and forcing Newcastle's Germany centre-forward deep. However, with defender Dedic off, the backline was underpowered, and the way was clear for Barnes to show that Gordon is not the manager's only attacking winger.

The home side's two changes was already proving effective by the time Pope sent a wonderful long throw in the substitute's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misjudged the flight, Barnes was clear, accelerating into the area before keeping commendable composure to lash a superb shot past Trubin.

When Barnes slid a low effort through unfortunate the goalkeeper's feet after meeting Gordon's stellar pass, it was all over. Mourinho had warned that Newcastle have four quick wide attackers, and three goals from a pair of wide men had shattered his hopes of earning Benfica's first Champions League result of the season.