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As the Benfica manager arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, local supporters feared a difficult match. But those worries disappeared thanks to a strike from Anthony Gordon and two more from replacement the forward, ensuring Benfica's new manager would not cause pain for Newcastle.

Match Flow and Early Action

Mourinho had predicted that Newcastle would be very physical, but his own team showed their similar combative style. Benfica clearly enjoyed disrupting Newcastle's initial attempts to build a fluent attacking tempo.

Adding to the home team's challenges, key players, Tonali and the Brazilian, started as substitutes as they continued recovering from sickness and a knock each.

Before the start, the coaches exchanged a brief, reserved embrace, and it quickly became clear that Mourinho had told his side to subdue the home fans by slowing the game and lowering the temperature whenever possible.

Key Events and Turning Points

The visitors' tactic produced mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and his teammates managed to break through the backline, they initially struggled to create good chances.

Moreover, the Belgium winger Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after leaving the defender on the ground, he tested Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that required an excellent single-hand save. It's no surprise Pope retains hope for an England recall in time for the World Cup.

Yet when the winger hit another attempt against the post, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy fired wide, and Benfica's keeper made an excellent close-range stop from Bruno Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the scoreless tie.

Gordon's blazing speed had caused problems for Mourinho all night, and he calmly slotted the opener past the goalkeeper after Murphy's quick ball into the box paid off.

On the occasion Newcastle's hard, pressing game was not anticipated by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, chosen over £55m Anthony Elanga, was there to pass a low cross across the face of goal for the winger to finish.

Second Half and Decisive Changes

From the beginning, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of defending deeply and seeking a point, but now Mourinho's side pushed forward with real freedom. The winger consistently displayed an ability to destabilize Howe's defense, and the home team were likely relieved to regroup at half-time.

The opening period ended with the keeper once more rescuing his side by tipping the attacker's left-foot around the goal frame, and as the sides emerged for the next period, the match seemed finely balanced.

While Gordon, evidently buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League games this campaign, played with the zeal of a winger aiming to alter the balance in Newcastle's favor, Lukebakio had different plans.

Mourinho's No 11 had already shown that, while Dan Burn is a fine centre-back, he is not a natural full-back, and Newcastle fans were nervous every time he moved forward.

The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, filling in for Tonali, not directed a set-piece above the crossbar from a well-placed spot. Rather, this thrilling game continued to swing from end to end, persuading the coach to introduce Joelinton and Harvey Barnes in place of Ramsey and Murphy.

The Benfica boss, meanwhile, brought on an extra striker in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk that backfired.

Harvey Barnes Seals the Match

Before that, Benfica, and in particular their Portugal defender Antonio Silva, had done a good job in limiting Nick Woltemade's room and pushing the German centre-forward deep. But now, with right-back Amar Dedic off, the backline was weakened, and the way was open for Barnes to show that Gordon is not the manager's only goal-scoring winger.

The home side's double substitution 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, misjudged the flight, the winger was away, sprinting into the area before maintaining impressive poise to lash a sublime shot past Trubin.

After Barnes rolled a low effort through poor the goalkeeper's legs after receiving Gordon's excellent through ball, it was finished. Mourinho had warned that the Magpies have four quick wide attackers, and three goals from a pair of wingers had destroyed his hopes of earning the team's first Champions League points of the campaign.