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Why Newcastle should be boosted by Jose Mourinho's St James' Park record
Champions League Matchday Three begins on Tuesday evening, and one of the most fascinating clashes will be on Tyneside as Newcastle host European giants Benfica.
The game could be a welcome distraction for Eddie Howe's men after their defeat to Brighton last weekend. That loss meant the Magpies have only won once in the league so far, and they may relish the return to European action following an impressive win over Union Saint-Gallaise on Matchday Two.
Yet, the visit of Benfica also sees a familiar face in the opposition dugout as Jose Mourinho makes another return to England, now in charge of the Portuguese side, just weeks after losing to his former team, Chelsea, in his first Champions League game in charge.
Benfica are currently third in the Primeira Liga, with Mourinho making steady progress at the club where he began his managerial career over two decades ago. However, a trip to the North-east may prove problematic for the one-time 'Special One', owing to his pretty terrible record at the stadium.
Mourinho has taken a side to St James' Park on twelve occasions during his managerial career, spanning Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham, and has only been on the winning side on three of those occasions.
Closer inspection reveals that of those three wins, two came in the League Cup - both with Chelsea in 2004 and 2006 - and only one happened on the Magpies' home turf.
That win came on his last visit to the ground with Spurs in 2020, where Harry Kane scored twice in a 3-1 COVID-era victory for the North London side.
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Despite not having the best record at St James', Mourinho only had good things to say about the club and the area when talking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Champions League tie.
He said, “Today they [Newcastle United] are a team that is very close to bigger things, bigger things that these people here deserve.”
“It’s a completely different area from London, the culture of Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, the biggest teams in London, it’s completely different from the culture, from the society in this area. I love playing here.
“I told the players in the conversation I had with them yesterday that even as an opponent, that even as an opponent, it’s beautiful to play here. It’s fantastic to play here. You will see tomorrow that the atmosphere is extraordinary.
"We have to cope with that emotion. We have to cope with it. We have to be strong enough to cope with it.”
It may be a glowing reference from the Benfica boss, but Newcastle have already been bested at home this season, losing to a Marcus Rashford-inspired Barcelona in their opening game.
Eddie Howe, though, will hope the form of summer signing Nick Woltemade will lead the Magpies to get one over Mourinho - someone whom Howe admits he looked up to early in his coaching career.
"He is someone I hugely admire, having come up against him before in the Premier League," Howe said.Getty Images
"As a younger coach, I really admired the teams he built at Chelsea, in particular.
"He is definitely a visionary - someone that broke the mould in terms of how you manage and the different ways to do things, and then following his success through different clubs, leagues. Incredible, really, what he's achieved in his career.
"It's always a great opportunity for any club to go up against one of his teams. I'm looking forward to the challenge immensely, and I think it's going to be a great game."
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