ANTHONY GORDON showed Thomas Tuchel once again he is the man for the big stage as he downed Jose Mourinho’s Benfica.
And goalkeeper Nick Pope stacked his own claim for an England recall with an audacious assist for the first of Harvey Barnes’ brace to seal the 3-0 Champions League victory.
Fresh from his impressive international break showing, 24-year-old winger Gordon grabbed his fourth goal in three Champions League outings to break the deadlock.
Then Pope, who spoke of his hope of going to a third World Cup with England this week, caught a cross and launched a 60-yard throw to send substitute Barnes clear.
And Gordon helped stick the final nail in coffin for Benfica as he provided the assist for his fellow winger’s second to leave Mourinho’s men pointless.
It was a pure Newcastle love-in pre-match from the Special One.
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The two-time king of Europe never hides his affection for the Toon, an admiration he developed from his days working with the late Sir Bobby Robson, and even refers to himself as a “Little Magpie”.
But it did not take long for the niceties to go out the window once the whistle went.
Three minutes were barely on the clock and Mourinho was charging to the touchline, arms spread wide, joined by his entourage demanding more than just a free-kick after Kieran Trippier caught Enzo Barrenechea’s ankle.
Though he left his Benfica cronies to do the whinging and mob the fourth official when Malick Thiaw received a yellow for clattering Vangelis Pavlidis.
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The entertaining encounter was already in full flow by this point. Mourinho nodded in approval as Antonio Silva nicked it off the waiting Jacob Ramsey’s toe from Jacob Murphy’s cross and he was clapping as his defence eventually cleared after Dan Burn had come close from the resulting corner.
Though Benfica were not here to park the bus. After two defeats from their opening two games, they need points and fast.
And former Watford flop Dodi Lukebakio was the man looking most likely to make something happen.
A great touch from him left Burn sprawled on the deck looking on helplessly as the attacker raced towards goal.
Fortunately Pope came to his rescue with a great save.
The goalkeeper revealed pre-match that Tuchel and England goalkeeper coach Hilario have been in regular contact since the German took charge.
And the Three Lions boss could have done worse than tune in this one.
Pope and Gordon were two of seven English players named by Howe in the starting XI.
The stopper showed his class again with a diving save to deny Lukebakio at his near post.
Though it was the woodwork that came to his rescue moments earlier.
Belgian international winger Lukebakio bent one left-footed from 20 yards but watched on agonisingly as his effort whizzed round Pope but clattered off the far post.
But it was anything but one way traffic.
Bruno Guimaraes came close as he tried to stab home a Burn knockdown from close-range but Anatoliy Trubin got his leg to it.
But when the opener did come just after half hour it had all the ingredients of a full English – with a sprinkling of Brazil-iance thrown in.
Teen Lewis Miley went in firm to win it on half way.
Samba star skipper Guimaraes picked it up and sent Murphy, who many were calling for tipping last season to get Three Lions recognition, away.
The winger charged away from his marker and slipped it right across the box for Gordon to slam in.
Nick Woltemade got the crowd going after with a strike deflected wide while Murphy shot just the wrong side of the post as the Mags hunted for a second.
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Tensions were mounting. One of Mourinho’s henchman found themselves being cautioned by referee Szymon Marciniak, not a favourite round these parts after controversially awarding Paris Saint-Germain a late penalty to equalise against Newcastle two years ago, after one moan too many.
And the moans turned to groans as Barnes, only on the pitch eight minutes, latched on to Pope’s monstrous throw to race clear and seal it before he added the cherry on top with the third after being played in by Gordon.
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