When Jose Mourinho came at Newcastle's stadium and complimented Newcastle's coach and his squad, home fans feared a tough match. However such fears vanished due to a strike from the winger and two more from substitute the forward, ensuring Benfica's coach did not inflict pain for Howe's team.
Mourinho had predicted that Newcastle would be extremely aggressive, but his Benfica players displayed their similar aggressive style. The visitors certainly delighted in breaking up the Magpies' early efforts to build a smooth passing rhythm.
Adding to the home team's challenges, key midfielders, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, began on the bench as they continued recovering from illness and a knock each.
Before the start, the two managers exchanged a brief, reserved embrace, and it soon became clear that the Benfica coach had told his side to quiet the home fans by slowing the game and reducing the temperature whenever possible.
Benfica's tactic produced varied results, but when Gordon and the Newcastle attack succeeded to dismantle the defensive barricades, they at first found it hard to create clear chances.
Moreover, the Belgian attacker Dodi Lukebakio almost demonstrated how to finish when, after leaving Dan Burn on the ground, he forced Newcastle's keeper with a powerful shot that required an excellent single-hand save. It's no surprise the goalkeeper retains hope for an England return in time for the World Cup.
But when Lukebakio hit a further attempt against the post, Newcastle woke up. Jacob Murphy shot off target, and Anatoliy Trubin made an impressive close-range save from Guimaraes before Gordon at last broke the deadlock.
Gordon's blazing pace had caused consternation for Mourinho all night, and he neatly slotted the opener past Trubin after Murphy's early cross into the box proved effective.
On the occasion the Magpies' hard, high press was not anticipated by the opposition, Murphy, preferred over £55m Anthony Elanga, was available to deliver a low ball across the goal for Gordon to finish.
From the beginning, Benfica could not be accused of parking the bus and playing for a draw, but now their players pushed forward with real freedom. The winger consistently showed an ability to unsettle Howe's defense, and the home team were likely relieved to reset at the break.
The first half ended with the keeper once more rescuing his team by tipping Lukebakio's shot wide of the post, and as the sides came out for the next period, everything seemed finely balanced.
If Gordon, clearly buoyed by scoring his fourth strike in three Champions League appearances this season, played with the determination of a winger set to shift the power balance in Newcastle's direction, the Benfica attacker had other plans.
Mourinho's winger had already shown that, while Dan Burn is a fine central defender, he is not a born left-back, and Newcastle fans were nervous every time Lukebakio advanced.
Howe might have felt easier had Miley, deputising for Sandro Tonali, not headed a corner over the bar from a well-placed position. Rather, this absorbing game continued to move from end to end, prompting the manager to introduce Joelinton and Barnes in place of Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy.
Mourinho, meanwhile, brought on an additional striker in Ivanovic. It would perhaps prove a risk that backfired.
Before that, the away team, and especially their Portugal back Antonio Silva, had done a fine job in limiting Nick Woltemade's room and forcing Newcastle's Germany striker back. But now, with defender Dedic substituted, the backline was underpowered, and the path was clear for Harvey Barnes to show 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 direction. When Silva, for once, misjudged the bounce, the winger was away, accelerating into the penalty box before keeping commendable composure to lash a sublime strike past Trubin.
After Harvey Barnes rolled a shot through poor the goalkeeper's feet after receiving Anthony Gordon's excellent pass, it was finished. The Benfica manager had cautioned that the Magpies have four very fast wide attackers, and a trio of strikes from two wingers had shattered his hopes of earning Benfica's first Champions League result of the campaign.
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