Newcastle United in Portugal diary – Dan Burn shows his class, Eddie Howe quizzed by Lisbon media

Burn, a second-half substitute, had stopped to talk to journalists in the post-match mixed zone.

The defender, signed in January, spoke about the game, competition in defence and the club’s pre-season as his team-mates filed out of the stadium behind him towards the waiting team coach.

When the last question had been asked, Burn said he had something to add.

Thankfully, he hadn’t taken offence to something written about him.

Instead, the 30-year-old wanted to praise 20-year-old Matty Bondswell, who, like Burn, had come on after the break with the score level at 2-2 thanks to two equalisers from Miguel Almiron.

The left-back, playing alongside Burn, hardly put a foot wrong on what was his biggest appearance yet for the club he joined last year after a spell at RB Leipzig.

And Burn, rightly, wanted that put on record.

Keeping quiet

Eddie Howe, it’s fair to say, can be guarded when asked about transfers – and understandably so.

United’s head coach isn’t one to give too much away, though, at least, he tries to give some kind of an update when appropriate.

However, Howe didn’t just field a transfer question from the Gazette at the Estadio da Luz. He also fielded several from the Portugese journalists gathered in the stadium’s large media auditorium.

Howe was speculatively asked about the possibility of him signing a Portuguese player.

"Of course, we’re looking in every league to try to find the best players for Newcastle,” said Howe.

The Lisbon media didn’t get much more out of him on transfers than the Tyneside press.

Rossio races

Just as they did in 2005 and 2013, Newcastle fans headed to Lisbon’s Rossio Square on the afternoon of the game.

From lunchtime, supporters gathered in one corner of the grand squad.

Outdoor seating areas were bedecked with flags as supporters drank in the shade ahead of the game.

The bars did a roaring trade until it was time for fans to head up to the stadium.

And one local busker didn’t miss a trick, either. He’d learnt to play the Blaydon Races – and played it on repeat.