As the Benfica manager came at Newcastle's stadium and praised Newcastle's coach and his squad, local supporters feared a difficult match. But such worries vanished due to a strike from Anthony Gordon and a brace from substitute Harvey Barnes, making sure the visitors' new manager did not inflict any trouble for Howe's team.
Match Flow and Initial Exchanges
The Benfica boss had forecast that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players showed their own combative style. The visitors certainly enjoyed disrupting the Magpies' early attempts to build a smooth attacking rhythm.
Adding to the home team's challenges, two midfielders, Tonali and the Brazilian, started as substitutes as they continued convalescing from illness and a knock respectively.
Prior to the start, the coaches shared a brief, cool embrace, and it quickly became clear that Mourinho had instructed his team to subdue the crowd by delaying Newcastle and reducing the temperature at every chance.
Key Events and Turning Points
The visitors' tactic produced varied results, but when Gordon and his teammates managed to break through Benfica's defensive barricades, they initially struggled to create good opportunities.
Moreover, the Belgian attacker Dodi Lukebakio nearly showed how to finish when, after leaving the defender behind, he tested Nick Pope with a tremendous shot that required an terrific one-handed stop. It's no surprise the goalkeeper still hopes for an national team return in time for the World Cup.
But when Lukebakio directed another attempt off the post, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy shot wide, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive near-post stop from Guimaraes before Anthony Gordon at last opened the deadlock.
The England winger's blazing pace had created problems for Mourinho all night, and he calmly side-footed the opener past the goalkeeper after his teammate's quick ball into the area proved effective.
When the Magpies' intense, high press was not anticipated by the opposition, Jacob Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was there to pass a ground ball across the goal for Gordon to polish off.
Later Stages and Decisive Substitutions
From the beginning, Benfica could not be blamed of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's side pushed forward with total abandon. The winger consistently displayed an ability to unsettle Newcastle's defense, and the home team were likely grateful to reset at the break.
The opening period ended with Pope once more saving his side by diverting Lukebakio's shot around the post, and as the sides came out for the second half, everything seemed finely poised.
While Gordon, clearly boosted by scoring his fourth goal in three European appearances this campaign, played with the determination of a wide player set to alter the power balance in Newcastle's direction, Lukebakio had other plans.
The manager's No 11 had already shown that, while Dan Burn is a capable central defender, he is not a born left-back, and Newcastle fans were nervous every time he moved forward.
The Newcastle manager might have felt easier had Lewis Miley, deputising for Tonali, not headed a set-piece above the crossbar from a well-placed position. Rather, this thrilling game continued to move from one goal to the other, persuading the manager to introduce the midfielder and Harvey Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.
Mourinho, meanwhile, brought on an extra forward in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk too far.
Barnes Seals the Game
Until then, Benfica, and especially their Portuguese defender Antonio Silva, had done a fine job in restricting Nick Woltemade's room and pushing Newcastle's German centre-forward deep. But now, with defender Dedic off, the defense was weakened, and the path was clear for Barnes to prove that Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.
The home side's double substitution was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a superb throw in Barnes's path. When Silva, for once, misread the bounce, Barnes was away, sprinting into the penalty box before keeping commendable poise to lash a sublime strike past Trubin.
After Barnes rolled a shot through unfortunate the goalkeeper's feet after receiving Anthony Gordon's stellar through ball, it was finished. The Benfica manager had warned that Newcastle have four very fast wingers, and a trio of strikes from two wide men had shattered his chances of earning Benfica's first Champions League result of the campaign.
