Roberto De Zerbi has admitted that both he and his Brighton team are still in the process of developing as he continues his role as manager. It seemed as though the Italian would have to accept a spot in the Europa League playoff round during their first season, as their clever opponents from Marseille prevented them from overtaking them at the top of their group.
However, a late and impressive goal by João Pedro, his sixth of the tournament, secured their direct advancement to the round of 16, pushing out the French team. This achievement is even more noteworthy considering their initial defeat to AEK Athens in their first ever European game in September. It is a remarkable accomplishment for a club that was competing in League One just ten years ago.
Fans of Brighton can eagerly look forward to the next phase of their exciting journey after securing a memorable win that was joyously celebrated well into the night in Sussex, much to the delight of their enthusiastic manager.
“I am without words, I have lost everything,” he expressed. “The game was incredible. We are overjoyed and extremely proud of the club, Brighton, our fans, our players, and all those who contribute to the club. This is the highlight of my time here.”
Brighton’s Europa League fortunes were transformed during the second half of their previous meeting with Marseille in the south of France back in October when they battled back from 2-0 down in the Stade Velodrome to earn a precious point. Four successive victories including impressive away wins in Amsterdam and Athens since then culminating in this dramatic late win over the 1993 European champions proved they certainly belong at this level.
Kaoru Mitoma and Simon Adingra shined on the sides, but it was João Pedro – the Brazilian who joined from Watford for a record-breaking £30m in the summer – who sealed the victory with a confident shot just two minutes before the end of the game. “These are the greatest moments of my life,” he expressed, a feeling surely echoed by many Brighton supporters.
Marseille came to the southern coast with an undefeated record in this tournament and a winning streak of four games. A key factor in their recent success under Gennaro Gattuso has been the revitalized performance of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. He continued his impressive form from his hat-trick against Ajax at the end of last month by scoring four more goals in Ligue 1 this month. However, the former Arsenal and Chelsea striker was surpassed by João Pedro as the leading scorer in the Europa League, making it a disappointing evening for Gattuso’s team. The Marseille manager admitted, “We were lacking in quality.”
In the first half, Jonathan Clauss, the wing-back, had the closest chance to score for the visiting team. His shot deflected off Pascal Gross and looped over Jason Steele’s head, hitting the underside of the crossbar before bouncing away to safety in the 15th minute. The two managers, De Zerbi and Gattuso, seem to have resolved their previous disagreement during a tense Serie C promotion playoff in 2016 when they were in charge of Foggia and Pisa respectively. However, Brighton’s manager was displeased with the number of stoppages in the first half due to Marseille players repeatedly wasting time. He expressed his frustration to the Spanish referee. Just before halftime, João Pedro had his team’s best chance of scoring after a well-coordinated play, but his shot lacked power.
The Brazilian striker came close to scoring from Simon Adingra’s powerful cross early in the second half, as Brighton picked up their tempo. The Ivorian winger then assisted Billy Gilmour in taking a long-range shot that was successfully blocked by Pau López.
Gattuso brought on Iliman Ndiaye, a former Sheffield United player, as a substitute. However, Brighton dominated possession and Marseille was stuck in their own half. Adingra was playing well but slipped at a critical moment when Mitoma set him up for a shot, sending it over the crossbar. Marseille had a chance to punish him for his mistake when Amine Harit’s shot hit the post after beating Steele, the Brighton goalkeeper. Luckily for Steele, the ball did not fall to Aubameyang’s heel.
De Zerbi took a risk and substituted Evan Ferguson as a forward, but it was Marseille who appeared to have a better chance at winning when Ndiaye missed his shot after a pass from Clauss. The Brighton manager became more agitated as his team struggled to create any notable chances, while Marseille’s players effectively slowed down the game, much to the delight of their fans behind Steele’s goal. However, their happiness was short-lived when a fantastic play involving most of Brighton’s players led to João Pedro scoring, causing the home fans to erupt in celebration.
Source: theguardian.com
