SAO PAULO — The Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles have flown all the way to Brazil to open their 2024 seasons.

It was a night of firsts: the NFL’s first game in the Southern Hemisphere, the first opening-week game on a Friday since 1970 and the first time running back Saquon Barkley played for the Eagles.

After a slow start to the game, both teams went toe-to-toe in the second quarter, with two touchdowns from Barkley and two from Green Bay receiver Jayden Reed.

The second half was mixed until the Eagles took the lead and secured the Week 1 victory 34-29.

Here are the key things you need to know for both teams on Friday night:

Philadelphia Eagles

It was the Saquon Barkley show, open to the world.

Barkley made his debut for the Philadelphia Eagles and shined in front of a packed house at Arena Corinthians, rushing for over 100 yards and scoring three touchdowns to lead the Eagles past the Green Bay Packers.

It’s exactly what the Eagles’ management hoped for when they gave him a three-year, $37.75 million contract this spring. He was a force on the ground and in the air, highlighted by an 18-yard TD reception down the left sideline in the second quarter. They expected him to be revitalized — playing behind a better offensive line than he had with the New York Giants and alongside a plethora of playmakers, including receivers AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith — and the 27-year-old seemed like that.

Barkley is the second Eagles player in franchise history to score three touchdowns in his debut as a team member, following Terrell Owens in 2004.

There’s still a long way to go: Barkley must prove he can stay healthy for a 17-game season or longer, but he’s off to a sensational start.

QB Analysis: Jalen Hurts had an inconsistent performance, throwing two interceptions and being charged with a lost fumble. He could have cost his team the game with his pick in the end zone early in the fourth quarter. But he led a game-sealing drive in the final moments to send the Eagles back to Philadelphia with a victory.

Interesting statistic: The Eagles’ 35 first-quarter yards were their fewest in an opening quarter since Week 17 of 2022 against the Saints, when a Gardner Minshew-led team had just two yards. They were held scoreless in the first quarter just twice last season, losing both games (Week 14 against the Dallas Cowboys and Week 18 against the New York Giants).

Worrying trend: A defense that has struggled in 2023 was leaky for much of the game, a reminder that new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio isn’t going to fix this overnight. There were a number of missed tackles and explosive plays that did the trick, as evidenced by Reed’s 70-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter. The good news: The Packers were limited to just one touchdown on four red-zone trips.

Next match: vs. Atlanta Falcons (8:15 p.m. ET, Monday, September 16)

Green Bay Packers

You might have expected the Packers defense to be a work in progress and that they might have issues with the kicking game. After all, this was the debut defense of new coordinator Jeff Hafley and rookie kicker Brayden Narveson.

But Jordan Love and the offense would pick up where they left off last season — as one of the league’s most potent units. But they couldn’t keep up with the Eagles, and Love couldn’t finish the game. He had to be assisted on the third-to-last play with an apparent lower leg injury in his first game since signing a four-year, $220 million contract extension this summer.

On a slick field where Love lost his balance and appeared to be struggling with calf problems, he completed just 17 of 34 passes. And while he threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, it wasn’t enough to overcome Barkley’s D and a late missed field goal.

Promising trend: Reed’s 10-touchdown (eight receiving, two running) rookie season was no fluke. While it remains to be seen whether he’ll ultimately become the Packers’ No. 1 receiver in Year 2, his knack for making big plays appears to be real. With a 33-yard rushing touchdown on an end-around and a 70-yard receiving touchdown, Reed became only the third player in the past 40 years to have a 70-yard receiving score and a 30-yard rushing score in the same game.

Worrying trend: It wasn’t the best debut effort for Narveson. After short field goals of 31 and 23 yards, plus his first two extra points, the rookie, who was claimed off waivers last week, hit the right post and missed a 43-yard field goal late in the third quarter. He bounced back to make his next, a 26-yarder in the fourth quarter. Narveson became the Packers’ sixth kicker since the end of last season and was GM Brian Gutekunst’s choice after a training camp competition between Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph failed to produce a clear choice.

Disturbing trend II: Maybe it was just an opening-game problem, but penalties hurt the Packers all game long. They committed red zone holding penalties on their two first-quarter drives and had to settle for field goals. In the third quarter, they were hit with two illegal shift penalties on the same drive and had to give up points. When they needed a stop to get the ball back at the end, defensive tackle Kenny Clark was called for a defensive hold on a third-down play. In all, they had 10 accepted penalties for 71 yards.

Crucial game: There’s never a good time for an interception, but the one Love threw in the third quarter was about as inopportune as it got for the Packers. Holding on to a 26-24 lead and backed into Eagles territory, Love floated a pass over the middle to tight end Luke Musgrave, who intercepted safety Reed Blankenship. It led to another touchdown by Barkley, giving the Eagles a 31-26 lead.

Next match: vs. Indianapolis Colts (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 15)