4 mins Guarding the Gallowgate goal, Nick Pope rolled the ball to Matt Targett, who trotted forward and found Joe Willock ahead of him over halfway with a simple pass. Turning infield, he found Kieran Trippier in the right hand channel and he quickly centred towards Chris Wood deep in the area.

That was reached by Abdul Mumin, whose header was angled towards the North East Corner but got only as far as Jacob Murphy. His measured first-time tap towards goal put the ball into the path of the unguarded Sean Longstaff, who calmly dispatched a rising shot into the roof of the net from seven yards out. 1-0

Half time: Newcastle 1 Rayo 0

69 mins Pope initiated the play once again with a short forward pass and after Jonjo Shelvey and Sven Botman exchanged passes, Targett pumped the ball forward down the left hand touchline for Willock to run on to.

Arriving in the Rayo box, Willock stepped away from goal in an attempt to reach the byline and tempted the luckless Mumin into a rash lunge that left the Newcastle man on the turf.

Following weak protests from the guilty party, Chris Wood dispatched a right-footed penalty kick high to the goalkeeper's right. 2-0

75 mins The visitors advanced over halfway and substitute Fran Garcia found space to set Alvaro Garcia away down the left flank. Pulling Jamaal Lascelles out of the centre, he cut the ball back from the byline before Botman could close him down.

Targett slid in to try and prevent the pass from reaching any of the three opponents who had arrived in the box, but succeeded only in diverting from six yards out between the wrong-footed Pope and his near post. 2-1

Full time: Newcastle 2 Rayo 1

Andoni Iraola - who was in Athletic Bilbao's B team squad when their first XI visited SJP back in 2001 - said:

“It is a game that has been very good for us at this point in the season because they have demanded a very high pace from us. It is a team that is third in the Premier for a reason and we have had to catch up with that rhythm to be able to compete.

"There are players who go to duels very strong, who don't stop running, the game has a very high physical demand and I am very happy, you lose the game but even suffering, it leaves us at a suitable point to face the competition ”.

"It was the idea of ​​the club, to play against the highest level rivals that we could in very beautiful settings where the player also enjoys and is required.

"They are duels that you win, that have value and I think they will leave us a good rhythm to start competing. We have reset all the teams and we don't know what our form is until we compete again.

"I have good feelings because I see the players well."

(Like United, Rayo return to action in midweek with a cup tie, facing Sanguntino in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday).