Bruno: Special Atmosphere Works Both Ways

Brighton & Hove Albion captain Bruno urged his team-mates to make a positive start against Newcastle United on Saturday, in order to test the unique atmosphere at St James’ Park.

The Magpies will be looking for their first Premier League victory of the season this weekend, and Bruno believes Albion need to manage the tempo of the game and put the pressure on the hosts.

He said, “They’re going to start the game very fast and we have to try to control the pace. Their fans will be behind them, but if they don’t play well, they’re going to be on them.

“Their intensity could be really high, but if we start well, the fans could turn and it’s always tough to play without that confidence. We can take advantage of that.

“It always helps to have your fans closer to you, but the setup at their stadium is quite different. It’s quite similar to the stadia in Spain, such as Villarreal, where the away fans are very high.

“The atmosphere at St James’ Park feels different, it feels special. As a player it’s nice to play there and I’m looking forward to Saturday.”

The 38-year-old has played twice for the Seagulls at St James’ Park over the past two seasons, and expects another tight game against Rafael Benitez’s side.

“They’ll expect to take three points as they’re playing at home. We’ve been big rivals with Newcastle since the Championship, so they’ll especially want to take them against us.

“It’s always a tough place to visit because of the team’s quality and the atmosphere, but that atmosphere can also go against them if we manage to start the game well.

“I’ve been there a couple of times and it’s always been about the small details - it’s been close in both of the matches I’ve played there.”

Seven of Albion’s starting line-up from their 2016 visit could feature again on Saturday afternoon, and Bruno highlighted the impressive nature behind keeping the core of the side together.

“It’s a team that’s been together for two or three years, it’s always good to have the same players as the core of the team.

“It’s really good, but at the same time it’s also really difficult. To keep the same players at the same club with the same intensity levels is really difficult, and not all teams could do that.

“That shows not just the quality of the players, but it also shows the character of the entire team.”