It's six years now since Chris Hughton and Diego Simeone served up a free-flowing goal feast at the Amex.

Two very good managers perhaps not best known for a carefree approach watched their teams trade footballing blows before the visitors grabbed a 3-2 win before a packed house.

Not a bad way to tune up for a home game against Manchester City.

The friendly between Albion and Atletico Madrid on Pride weekend, 2017, sent the home club into their first Premier League campaign with plenty of encouragement.

It was one of three of these dress rehearsal type fixtures which probably stand out in the memory from the Amex era.

One was the official opening ceremony for the stadium against Tottenham in 2011.

The other was when Championship side Albion beat Champions League winners Chelsea 3-1 a year later.

That was during the London Olympics. Heptathlon and rowing were on the TV before a game which saw Vicente turn on the style and Andrew Crofts score on his return to the Seagulls.

It was not actually the last game before the new season.

There was still Michel Kuipers’ testimonial versus Reading and a League Cup tie at Swindon before the league started at Hull.

But the Chelsea game showed we had a lot to look forward to.

Just as the Atleti clash showed Albion would be very competitive against the big guns, if not quite able to beat them at that stage.

So, while friendly results do not matter, this weekend’s game is the one which can give us something of guide to what follows.

We saw that in 2015 after a dismal season when a 1-0 win over Sevilla (thanks to a very generous penalty award) hinted at far better things to come.

Tomer Hemed treated us to his first slow-motion penalty that afternoon.

Last year, Leandro Trossard gave us a preview of his form before the World Cup as he scored a stunning hat-trick against Espanyol.

Given Albion went on to enjoy their best ever season and Espanyol were relegated, the 5-1 home win that afternoon was a good guide to the league season.

It was also the afternoon when Kaoru Mitoma came on and stole the show in the latter stages, though we were to see precious little of him until late October.

Albion’s best ever season until last year was 2021-22 and it was preceded by a 2-0 defeat to Getafe, who are neighbours of both Rayo and Atleti.

If a Spanish side can prepare you for a trip to Burnley a week later, it was the uncompromising Getafe outfit that day.

So what do we want to see from Albion this weekend?

Fans will look forward to enjoying some magic from new boy Joao Pedro after what did at times in the Summer Series.

The arrival from Watford looks a real talent just waiting for the right stage, supporting cast and guidance.

There will be a warm welcome for all signings and Moises Caicedo may well be implored to stay as the transfer talk rumbles on.

Albion looked short of numbers in defence in the USA so the likely return of Lewis Dunk and possible introduction of Igor will be of note.

Roberto De Zerbi appears to have enjoyed his first pre-season with the players having arrived with the 2022-23 campaign already under way .

Midfielder Pascal Gross said: “It wasn’t easy changing manager during the season.

“The hard bit was getting all the information from Roberto when he came in while we still had a lot of games.

“But we had the winter break for the World Cup and that definitely helped.

“We got better and better and in the end it worked really well for us.

“It was hard to pick out one memorable match, a lot were quite emotional but the win against Manchester United was really special.”

Over the years we have seen close-to-season run outs against Lazio, Valencia, Nantes, Villarreal, Southampton and Chelsea.

It will be good to get back at the Amex and it will all be free of the usual pressures of points.

But there will be pointers in this final friendly.