As Jose Mourinho arrived at Newcastle's stadium and praised Eddie Howe and his squad, home fans were concerned about a difficult game. But such fears disappeared thanks to a strike from the winger and two more from replacement the forward, making sure Benfica's new manager did not inflict any trouble for Howe's team.
The Benfica boss had forecast that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his own team displayed their own combative style. Benfica clearly enjoyed disrupting the Magpies' initial attempts to build a smooth attacking tempo.
Adding to the home team's issues, key midfielders, Tonali and the Brazilian, started as substitutes as they were recovering from sickness and injury each.
Before kick-off, the coaches shared a perfunctory, reserved greeting, and it quickly became apparent that Mourinho had instructed his team to subdue the crowd by delaying Newcastle and reducing the temperature whenever possible.
Benfica's tactic produced mixed results, but when Anthony Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to break through Benfica's backline, they at first struggled to generate good chances.
Additionally, Benfica's Belgium attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost showed how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn on the ground, he tested Nick Pope with a powerful shot that got an terrific one-handed save. No wonder Pope retains hope for an England recall in time for the World Cup.
But when the winger hit a further shot off the post, Newcastle woke up. Murphy shot wide, and Benfica's keeper made an impressive near-post stop from Guimaraes before Gordon finally opened the scoreless tie.
The England winger's scorching pace had created consternation for the Benfica coach all night, and he neatly side-footed the first goal past Trubin after Murphy's early cross into the box proved effective.
On the occasion the Magpies' hard, high press was not second-guessed by Benfica, Jacob Murphy, preferred over the expensive signing, was available to deliver a low cross across the face of goal for Gordon to finish.
Right from the start, the Portuguese team could not be blamed of defending deeply and playing for a draw, but now Mourinho's players attacked with real abandon. The winger consistently showed an skill to destabilize Newcastle's defense, and the home team were probably grateful to reset at half-time.
The first half concluded with the keeper again rescuing his team by tipping Lukebakio's shot wide of the post, and as the sides came out for the next period, the match seemed evenly balanced.
If Gordon, evidently buoyed by netting his fourth goal in three European appearances this campaign, played with the determination of a wide player set to alter the balance in his team's favor, the Benfica attacker had other ideas.
Mourinho's No 11 had already emphasized that, while Dan Burn is a capable centre-back, he is not a natural left-back, and home fans were in mouths every time Lukebakio moved forward.
Howe might have relaxed had Miley, deputising for Tonali, not directed a set-piece over the bar from a good spot. Rather, this absorbing game continued to move from end to end, prompting Newcastle's manager to bring on the midfielder and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Murphy.
The Benfica boss, at the same time, brought on an additional forward in Franjo Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk that backfired.
Before that, the away team, and especially their Portugal back Silva, had done a good job in restricting Woltemade's space and forcing Newcastle's Germany centre-forward deep. However, with defender Amar Dedic off, the backline was weakened, and the way was clear for Barnes to show that Anthony Gordon is not Howe's only goal-scoring winger.
The home side's two changes was already paying off by the time Pope dispatched a wonderful throw in the substitute's path. When Antonio Silva, for once, misread the bounce, Barnes was away, accelerating into the penalty box before keeping impressive poise to lash a sublime strike past Trubin.
When Harvey Barnes slid a shot through poor Trubin's feet after receiving Gordon's stellar through ball, it was finished. Mourinho had warned that Newcastle have four very fast wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from a pair of wingers had destroyed his hopes of securing the team's first European result of the season.
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