Mourinho was right about Newcastle

In the early morning of October 22, Jose Mourinho and his team lost 0-3 to Newcastle in the Champions League qualifying round. Harvey Barnes' double and Gordon's goal drowned the visitors. Before the match, many believed Benfica would have a hard time, but few expected them to be so badly defeated.

The fear of St James Park

In his pre-match interview, Jose Mourinho praised Newcastle United fans, saying St James' Park was an "impregnable fortress" where fans came to watch more than just the football. "They play with the players," Mourinho said. "The football culture in Newcastle is very different to London or Manchester."

This match showed Newcastle's formidable strength at home. Newcastle's shining star Anthony Gordon continued to make history by becoming the first player from the club to score in three consecutive Champions League matches. His goal in the 32nd minute from a pass from Jacob Murphy opened the door for the Magpies. Harvey Barnes also contributed significantly with a double, including a goal assisted by Gordon himself, to seal the 3-0 scoreline.

It's not just about the result or the three points, this victory shows that Newcastle are becoming a force in Europe. With the support of St James Park, they can beat any opponent. Benfica are the latest victims. The Portuguese team are regular visitors to the Champions League, but when they played away to Newcastle, they were completely outclassed. Don't forget that this was only Newcastle's second consecutive winning streak in the Champions League, a feat they have achieved for the first time since February 2003.

Newcastle completely overwhelmed Benfica

Mourinho's worries

For Jose Mourinho, St James' Park has always been a "nightmare". In 12 visits here, he has only won 3. This defeat puts even more pressure on the Portuguese coach, as Benfica is the only team to have lost all three of their opening matches in the Champions League qualifying round this season, up to now.

Newcastle's sound tactics and explosive play left Benfica, under Mourinho's leadership, completely helpless. Benfica fans have reason to worry as the team not only showed poor form but also played with a weak spirit.

Compared to the humiliating defeat to Chelsea, Mourinho's team showed very little improvement in their playing style at St James' Park. Questions were also raised about Mourinho's mettle and coaching ability in Europe.

Mourinho's return to the Champions League for the first time in five years is showing signs of instability. His last time in charge of this tournament was with Tottenham Hotspur in the 2019/20 season. Since then, Mourinho has been far from the pinnacle of the Champions League, only managing clubs playing in the Europa League or Europa Conference League. While working at Fenerbahce, Mourinho was eliminated in the Champions League play-off round for two consecutive years.

With Benfica, Mourinho will have the opportunity to experience the new format of the Champions League (league phase) for the first time. This is also an opportunity for the "Special One" to prove that his time is not over. However, everything is very worrying for Mourinho.

Source: https://znews.vn/mourinho-da-dung-ve-newcastle-post1595876.html