He was impressed by what he saw on Thursday, from a team with a strong South American influence.
Alan Pardew: “My knowledge of that isn’t great because of the TV coverage we have here, which is saturated with La Liga and the Premier League.
“But the quality of the opposition was there for everybody to see.
“They were fresh, and you could see that.
“They were itching for a game, and they played with enthusiasm.
“They played well for long periods of the game, but I don’t think my team could have played much better. I thought we should have won the game.”