Newcastle United stepped up their preparations for the restart with a 5-0 win against Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia.
A double from Joelinton put Newcastle 2-0 up at the break and a further two goals Miguel Almiron and another from youngster Dylan Stephenson in the second half gave the Magpies a commanding victory at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.
Here are five things we learned from the game as Eddie Howe's side went home with the Diriyah Season Cup.
READ MORE: Al-Hilal vs Newcastle United highlights
No danger of Newcastle not taking this seriously
Eddie Howe once said there was 'no such thing as a dead game for Newcastle - not even a pre-season friendly in my eyes'. With just one further exhibition game to come, against Rayo Vallecano at St James' Park, before the club season restarts, the Magpies boss unsurprisingly named a strong side against the Saudi Pro League champions.
As a result, Sven Botman, Jonjo Shelvey, Joe Willock, Joelinton, Allan Saint-Maximin, Jacob Murphy and Chris Wood were among those who started from the off while Sean Longstaff and Miguel Almiron were introduced from the bench. Newcastle quickly raced into a 1-0 lead, following Joelinton's early goal, and the Brazilian added a second just before half-time to put his side in command after Al Hilal had asked a couple of awkward questions of Newcastle's makeshift defence.
There were times where you could tell Newcastle had a draining week of training, where the intensity and crisp passing was not quite there in the early stages, but Howe's side got better as the game went on and ran riot late on. Howe will now hope this trip will be the basis for a strong run of form when the Magpies return home - just as a similar trip to Jeddah was last season.
Miguel Almiron picks up from where he left off
Miguel Almiron was in the form of his life before the World Cup but, on this evidence, do not bet against the Paraguay international picking up from where he left off after scoring seven goals in his nine previous Premier League games. Almiron is a player full of belief and confidence, and the forward was Newcastle's best player after coming on at the break.
After hitting the crossbar just a few minutes after coming on, Almiron went on to score two superb goals, which showed both sides of his game. Almiron won the ball back, himself, high up the pitch in the 77th minute before weaving past a number of defenders and firing home. The second, just a few minutes later, was the pick of the bunch after Longstaff found Almiron at the back post and the 28-year-old finished on the volley.
In this sort of form, Almiron is simply untouchable. It was perhaps the ultimate compliment that, by the end, Al Hilal had to resort to cynically fouling him.
Loris Karius impresses in front of Newcastle's owners
It may have just been a friendly, but this was still a memorable night for Loris Karius, who made his Newcastle debut after joining the club on a short-term deal a couple of months ago. Karius has proved a popular addition behind the scenes - pushing and supporting his fellow goalkeepers - and Eddie Howe is keen to extend the former Liverpool shot-stopper's contract.
Not only have Howe and his staff been impressed with Karius' conduct but, also, how the goalkeeper has improved with each week of training and Thursday was a reminder of what the 29-year-old can still do on the field. In fact, aside from Joelinton, Karius was arguably Newcastle's most solid performer in the first half after making a number of saves, including a superb stop with his finger tips to deny Andre Carrillo right before half-time.
With the club's executives watching on - owners Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi and CEO Darren Eales were all in attendance - Karius will have done his chances of securing a new deal no harm.
Injury worries
Given the lack of fit alternatives, it will have been a concern for Eddie Howe to not only see Chris Wood come off holding his back in the 39th minute but, also, goalscorer Joelinton walk off with the physio just before the hour mark with a hamstring issue.
With Alexander Isak being eased back in - the club's record signing faces a race against time to be fit in time for the restart - and Callum Wilson still at the World Cup, Newcastle have no recognised frontman in reserve at the moment. Although Allan Saint-Maximin can play through the middle, and filled in when Wood went off, Howe will be hoping Wood and, indeed, Joelinton will be fit and available when the season gets back under way against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup in less than two weeks.
Youngsters get their chance
Newcastle's World Cup contingent may be missing, Howe has used this warm-weather training break to take a look at five of the club's hottest prospects rather than just travelling with a smaller group made up exclusively of senior players. Howe, in the process, has sent an important message to Lewis Miley, Alex Murphy, Jay Turner-Cooke, Joe White and Dylan Stephenson, who have already trained with the first team at various points.
Newcastle may spend millions on new players in 2023, but Howe clearly wants others to follow in the footsteps of Elliot Anderson in making the step up from the academy in the years to come. The quintet all got the chance to impress in the second half on a night they will never forget, and Stephenson even got on the scoresheet himself with a smart finish at the back post in the 86th minute.
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