Friday’s briefing: Marcus Rashford at the double and Erling Haaland sets record | OneFootball

Marcus Rashford scored twice on his return to England as Barcelona beat Newcastle 2-1 in their Champions League opener at St James’ Park.

Erling Haaland hit his 50th Champions League goal as Manchester City coasted past 10-man Napoli 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

Jose Mourinho made a return to club management in his native Portugal with Benfica, while closer to home, Wolves boss Vitor Pereira agreed a contract extension.

Marcus Rashford at the double

Rashford scored twice on his return to England as Barcelona beat Newcastle 2-1 in their Champions League opener at St James’ Park.

After both sides had chances to break the deadlock in a hectic first half, Rashford headed in a cross from Jules Kounde just before the hour for his first goal since a loan move from Manchester United.

Rashford – with England manager Thomas Tuchel watching in the stands – fired in his second from 20 yards after 67 minutes.

Anthony Gordon pulled a goal back in the 90th minute, but Barcelona saw out seven minutes of added time to open their European campaign with three points.

“It is a new way of football, but I am enjoying it all and I think it is making me a better player,” Rashford said on TNT Sports.

Erling Haaland rattles up Champions League half-century

Haaland hit his 50th Champions League goal as Manchester City beat 10-man Napoli 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium.The Italians had seen captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo sent off in the 21st minute after bringing down Haaland as the Norway striker looked to race clear on goal, the referee having been sent to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.

Napoli boss Antonio Conte soon made a change as former City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne was substituted in the 26th minute and replaced by Mathias Olivera.

Haaland reached the half-century landmark in his 49th Champions League appearance, setting a new record, when he headed in Phil Foden’s pass on 56 minutes.

Jeremy Doku added a second with a neat finish in the 65th minute as City laid down an early marker in Europe.

Jose Mourinho back at Benfica

Jose Mourinho was unveiled as Benfica’s new head coach – and one of his first assignments will be against his old team Chelsea.

The Lisbon club turned to the 62-year-old after dismissing Bruno Lage in the early hours of Wednesday morning following a Champions League home defeat to Azerbaijan side Qarabag.

Mourinho, who was sacked by Turkish side Fenerbahce last month, returns to Benfica after a short stint in charge of the club 25 years ago.

Since then Mourinho enjoyed great success at Porto – winning the UEFA Cup and Champions League – before moving to Chelsea where he delivered three Premier League titles across two spells.

Mourinho – who lifted another European Cup at Inter Milan in 2010 as well as the Europa League with Manchester United in 2017 – will now be welcomed back to Stamford Bridge when Benfica play Chelsea in the Champions League on September 30.

Vitor Pereira extends Wolves stay

Wolves head coach Pereira has signed a new three-year contract.

Pereira replaced the sacked Gary O’Neil in December and his previous deal was due to expire at the end of this season.

Wolves are bottom of the table after losing their first four league games, but the club’s hierarchy have placed their trust in the 57-year-old Portuguese, who had guided them to a 16th-placed finish – 17 points clear of relegation.

“Vitor has made a very positive impact during his time at Wolves. He’s brought clarity, energy and a team spirit that gives us a foundation to be successful,” said Wolves chairman Jeff Shi.

Elisabeth Terland at the treble

Elisabeth Terland scored a hat-trick as Manchester United beat Norwegian club Brann 3-0 to reach the Women’s Champions League for the first time.

The men’s team may have no European football this season, but Terland – facing her former club in the final round of qualifying – ensured Marc Skinner’s side will be among the continent’s elite in the league phase.

United overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit to complete a 3-1 aggregate victory with a dominant display at Leigh Sports Village.

What’s on today?

Friday night’s action in the Sky Bet Championship sees table-toppers Middlesbrough looking to maintain their strong start at home against West Brom.

In the Women’s Super League, Everton take on London City Lionesses while Tottenham host Manchester City.

Ahead of the weekend’s Premier League matches several clubs will be holding press conferences – including Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham.