Bruno reminisces about watching Newcastle in the Champions League ahead of 'big' game

Albion captain Bruno is relishing tomorrow's clash with a team he remembers watching in the Champions League back home in Spain.
Albion captain Bruno. Picture by Phil Westlake (PW Sporting Photography)Albion captain Bruno. Picture by Phil Westlake (PW Sporting Photography)
Albion captain Bruno. Picture by Phil Westlake (PW Sporting Photography)

Newcastle played in the elite European competition in 1997-98 and 2002-03 and Bruno, who played for Espanyol, Lleida, Almería and Valencia in Spain, before joining Albion in 2012, said: "Newcastle is a massive club in England. I remember because I was a Barcelona supporter watching the Champions League, with (Faustino) Asprilla and other amazing players for Newcastle.

"To come here and play against Newcastle is a big thing but it's 46 games and a lot of games this season.

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"It's a big game because of the table and because Newcastle is a big club in England but we take the game as it comes.

"It's another three points and we want to try to play with the same shape as we played against Reading. The Reading game was massive for us and we try to approach every game with the same intensity and the same basics.

"Even when you approach massive games, you cannot change anything. You have to keep doing the same things."

The Seagulls have kept back-to-back clean sheets, after conceding 11 goals in five matches, and Bruno said: "We're so pleased because we know one of our biggest strengths is clean sheets. We know if we keep a clean sheet, normally we win the game.

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"But every single team during the season will have a bad period. We have had that period already and most important is that period was really short and we came back stronger."

With a packed crowd again at the Amex, Bruno is hoping for a similar atmosphere to the Reading game on Saturday.

He said: "The fans were unbelievable again. The stadium was packed and tomorrow's going to be packed as well.

"They always help us to get that extra metre, that extra effort and that's really nice."

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Has he thought about being just the second player in the club's history to captain Brighton into the top flight of English football? "It would be unbelievable. It's a nice feeling to be captain and would be a nice feeling to get promoted but the main thing is to get promoted.

"It's not just about myself, I'm not selfish. I'm not just thinking about getting the trophy or whatever, it's all about the team and club."

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