Bobby Robson and Jermaine Jenas may have been the birthday boys, but it was fledgling strikers Shola Ameobi and Lomana LuaLua who came of age in Germany to keep Newcastle's Champions League dream alive with a 3-1 win at the BayArena.
The 21-year-old Englishman and his Congalese partner, 22, were only playing because Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy were suspended, but they performed their roles to the letter to open their side's Group A account.
Ameobi headed home a LuaLua cross with just five minutes gone and then added a second 11 minutes later to put the visitors in the driving seat.
Although Brazilian Franca pulled one back on 26 minutes, LuaLua converted a Laurent Robert cross to make it 3-1 at the break.
Robson, celebrating his 70th birthday, could hardly have asked for a better response from his young guns, and although the Germans rallied briefly after the break, skipper Gary Speed prompted a fightback to calm nerves and see his side home.
Elsewhere in Group A, Barcelona crushed Inter Milan 3-0 at the Nou Camp to set a record for successive Champions League victories and move to the brink of a place in the quarter-finals.
Barca attacked with real verve from the first whistle and were rewarded as goals from Javier Saviola and Philip Cocu put them well clear inside the opening half hour.
Saviola's run and cross set up Patrick Kluivert for the third on 67 minutes and the match ended on a real low note for Inter as Alvaro Recoba was sent off for a late challenge on Carles Puyol 10 minutes from time.
In Group B, Arsenal missed the chance to take a giant step towards the quarter-finals when Ajax held out for a 1-1 draw at Higbury.
Sylvain Wiltord fired the Premiership champions into an early lead but the goal was quickly cancelled out by Nigel De Jong. The draw left both sides with five points from three matches. Arsenal will meet the Dutch champions again next Wednesday.
Arsenal, who have now drawn their last three Champions League home games, flew out of the blocks and were ahead after five minutes. Patrick Vieira's ball forward found Dennis Bergkamp, who quickly released Wiltord down the right flank.
The French striker had acres of space to attack the Ajax goal and coolly slotted home between keeper Bogdan Lobont's legs.
Ajax, bright and inventive, were quick to respond and levelled on 17 minutes. Tomas Galasek's diagonal pass picked out Nigel De Jong and the teenager eased away from Ashley Cole to score.
Arsenal, who lost goalkeper David Seaman to a hip injury at halftime to be replaced by Stuart Taylor, pressed forward after the break but lacked a decisive cutting edge.
In Group B's other match, a freak goal by striker John Carew left AS Roma's propects of reaching the last eight in tatters as the Italian side lost 1-0 Valencia.
The winner arrived in the 79th minute when Norwegian striker Carew spotted Roma keeper Ivan Pelizzoli out of position and curled a harmless looking ball into the area which slipped in at the near post.
It was a fitting finale to a scrappy match, in which neither side had distinguished itself but which leaves Roma bottom of Group B with no points after three games. Valencia join Arsenal and Ajax on five.