A useful workout for us, says Mo

The Magpies looked to be on course for a draw after Jesús Gámez struck to cancel out Levin Öztunali’s early goal, but former Middlesbrough forward Viktor Fischer’s effort five minutes from time gave the Bundesliga outfit a narrow victory.

On the whole, it was the home side who adapted best to the sweltering conditions, with temperatures in the Rhineland almost topping 30°C.

But, ahead of a second outing in Germany – against Wolfsburg in four days’ time – Diamé feels United are making progress as they gear up for their Premier League opener against Tottenham Hotspur on August 13^th.

“You always want to win when you play a game, but I think it was a good session for everyone because they made us run a lot today, and that is good for our fitness,” he told nufc.co.uk. “But yes, of course we are disappointed with the result.

“I was quite surprised – you do not expect that sort of sun. But, the weather was a good thing for our fitness as well, and we know how important it is to get fit. The most important game is on the 13^th and we need to be ready for that one.

“Wolfsburg are another good team, so it will definitely be a similar game on Wednesday. They were German champions (recently), so it is going to be a difficult game. But, as I say, we are just trying to get better game after game to make sure we are ready on the 13^th.”

Diamé himself played for more than an hour at the Opel Arena, having started for the third time during the Magpies’ pre-season campaign.

“It was tiring today, but I feel OK,” he added. “I am playing in the middle – where I like to play – so I am trying to enjoy my football. I am happy to help the team, and I am just trying to get myself ready for the start of the season.”