What to make of Brighton's fruitful final friendly

Not my wording (although maybe I will borrow it later in the season).

That was what leading Spanish sports newspaper Marca had to say about the inevitability of the Seagulls’ second-half goal against their LaLiga opponents on Sunday.

And a goal WAS coming. If we are at all bothered about the result, Albion did not deserve to lose.

Had that 1-1 draw been in a league game, we would be talking about two points dropped.

Like at Leeds, Leicester and Crystal Palace, like at home to Brentford and Nottingham Forest.

But evidence suggests had that been a league game Jason Steele would not have made the error which gifted Rayo their goal.

And, of course, substitutions on both sides would have been different.

So forget the result. It is all about whether Albion are ripe and ready for the league season.

If they wanted a test against a side pressing them high up and enthusiastically, they got it - but only for a few minutes.

Initially Rayo hunted them down.

There was a loose pass by Adam Webster under pressure which gave Rayo a shooting chance, from which Steele saved sharply, low to his left.

And there was a moment when the keeper was almost dispossessed right in front of his own goal.

But Rayo sat back in a lower block once ahead and gave Albion a test in that respect.

Which is not a bad thing. It will happen in the season.

These are all challenges they will have to overcome, not least one imagines in the Europa League. But the home side’s best moments still came when Rayo made passing errors under not a lot of pressure and were caught out of shape.

Albion fed greedily on such mistakes, such as Joao Pedro bearing down on goal and eventually crossing for Danny Welbeck to hit the post.

Such as Kaoru Mitoma weaving past defenders and forcing the keeper into a good stop.

But whether they would get such gifts when the Premier League starts is questionable.

So the impression with which we left the Amex - and certainly with which we left our seats at half-time - was of excitement at seeing all the pieces fit into place before too long rather than satisfaction that the final article was ready to go.

Albion felt a bit more like a work in progress on Sunday than they did, for example, after beating Espanyol 5-1 this time last year.

But maybe that reflects the fact all of us are going into a season for which we cannot be totally prepared.

There’s some unknown there. Just put yourself in the strongest situation you can and be ready for all eventualities.

Roberto De Zerbi said: “It was a different game to what we played last year because the opponents’ behaviour was different.

“They didn’t press us. They waited in their half of the pitch.

“In a small space, it was very difficult to find the solution.

“But we need to improve in this type of game, especially in the second half, but in the last part of the first half I thought we played well.

“Not so clean, not so aggressive but they didn’t give us any problem.

“We have to improve, to help the new players come into our idea. But it’s a normal problem.”

De Zerbi hit on one of the pluses which was perhaps not spoken about in the immediate wake of the draw.

Albion looked secure and alert against any counter threat.

Jan Paul van Hecke made a couple of timely interventions.

Pascal Gross’s huge value to the team was again in evidence wherever he plays.

He was the only player on either side to complete the 90 minutes.

But he is also part of what looks like – for those of us on the outside, at least – a point to debate, even if RDZ and his coaching staff already know exactly where they are going with it.

Does he play Gross – or Moises Caicedo (if fit and available) or even Billy Gilmour (as on Sunday) - at right-back as a way to get an extra midfielder on the pitch?

Or does he go with a more orthodox right-back (albeit still with tactical adaptability and good ability on the ball) in Joel Veltman?

It feels a bit more secure and balanced with Veltman there. Or maybe it just a feels a bit more like what we are all used to.

Mo Dahoud is surely a certain starter against Luton on Saturday and his variety of passing can help give Albion an extra dimension.

The rhythm of matches is not too intense until September, then come the Euro demands and what are likely to be more line-up changes.

That said, there was a degree of that late last season as Albion were given a more hectic schedule.

At that time, it felt like De Zerbi might be giving some games more priority than others with his selections.

That cannot be the case this time.

Amid the Euro excitement, getting points on the board in an increasingly competitive league remains essential.

“Their finishing shone only by its absence,” our Spanish counterparts wrote of Albion’s attacking efforts in the first half on Sunday.

“The rhythm with which they circulated the ball was far from the team of last season.”

That is fair comment. But there was enough there to remain optimistic for the weeks to come.

The plans can start to bear fruit from Saturday.