Few places do the big occasion better than St James’ Park, but Tuesday’s test was a different one for Newcastle. Against Benfica, there was little chance of an era-defining night; there was a job to do, three points on the line to take their European campaign by the scruff of the neck.
Jose Mourinho arrived and instantly made the headlines. His relationship with former Newcastle manager Sir Bobby Robson was hot topic pre-match, but it was important that the match itself remained the focus. The crowd rose as one to roar the home side on to a straight-forward 3-0 win thanks to Player of the Match Anthony Gordon’s opener and a brace from substitute Harvey Barnes.
