Sometimes you make your own luck – and that might just be the case for Albion in early August.

Fans cheered when the fixture list handed them an opening test by Manchester City at the Amex.

There aren’t many better sides than City in Europe, not many tougher tests.

But Atletico Madrid might just be one of them.

Which is why that home friendly against Diego Simeone’s side to conclude pre-season is looking a wiser investment than ever. Investment being the operative word.

Albion have paid very good money to bring in the calibre of pre-season opponent they need.

Conversely, they can also command a big fee from opponents should they wish to venture overseas.

The Seagulls are happy the sizeable punt they have taken on Atleti will pay off financially.

They have taken a calculated decision on what sort of revenue the day will bring in.

But money is secondary to staying up, as shown by fees they have turned down to play overseas.

So what sort of prep do Atletico provide to a side who kick off against City?

The Argus:

Of course Simeone and Pep Guardiola, above, do not send their teams out to play the same way.

But the technical levels, the standard, the intensity and the sense of occasion will be right up there.

Albion chief executive Paul Barber has told The Argus that Atletico were boss Chris Hughton’s first choice of final opponent this pre-season.

As well as the standards they offer, he also wanted an opponent whose energy and tempo match what will be found week after week in the English top flight.

Atletico sent two representatives across last Tuesday to have talks with their Albion oppos and strike up a relationship over lunch.

They examined the stadium, taking in such details as the size of the away team’s changing room.

That is pretty thorough for a friendly.

By the time they touch down in England, Atletico will be well progressed in pre-season.

That is another advantage of going up. You get to play your top friendly a week later than when you are in the Championship.

Atleti will ease into things against lower division Numancia, then go to Mexico to help Toluca celebrate their centenary.

They will come to England fresh from the Audi Cup in Munich, where they face Napoli in the semis and Bayern or Liverpool in the final or third-place game.

After the Amex, they will have just the one gala home friendly at their new stadium before getting stuck into the league against opponents yet to be announced on August 19 or 20.

So that is going to be one tough fixture for Hughton and his men. As an occasion, it looks like it will go down well.

“Just got my Brighton v Atletico Madrid tickets – never thought I’d say that!” read a not untypical tweet recently.

Actually, Atleti finished third in the Liga Santander last season, just one place above Sevilla, who we have seen in a previous summer at Falmer.

Villarreal were fifth – and they have been to the Amex too.

We have also seen Tottenham, Chelsea, Southampton and Lazio here. And Norwich.

Albion have beaten the previous Spring’s winners of both the Champions League (Chelsea 2012) and the Europa League (Sevilla in 2014) at the Amex and it stood them in good stead for excellent campaigns.

But this one feels a lot bigger, better, more auspicious, more exciting – just like many aspects of Albion life this summer.

Tackling Atletico does not mean the Seagulls will shock City.

But it does their chances no harm at all.