Roberto De Zerbi has admitted that he, just like his Brighton team, is still developing as a manager. Despite their efforts to surpass Marseille in their group, their clever opponents prevented them from doing so. As a result, they were on track to only qualify for the playoff round of the Europa League in their first season.
However, a thrilling last-minute goal by João Pedro, his sixth in the tournament, sealed their spot in the round of 16 and eliminated the French team. This is a significant accomplishment for a club that was competing in League One only 10 years ago, especially considering their initial loss to AEK Athens in their first-ever European match in September.
The fans of Brighton now have the opportunity to prepare for the upcoming phase of their exciting journey with great enthusiasm following their triumphant win. The team’s elated manager joined in on the celebration well into the night in Sussex.
“I have lost my ability to speak, and with it, everything,” he stated. “It was an incredible game. We are overjoyed and immensely proud, for the club, for Brighton, for our supporters, for our players, and for all those who contribute to the club. This is the pinnacle of my time here.”
Brighton’s luck in the Europa League drastically changed in their last encounter with Marseille in October. Despite being down 2-0 at the Stade Velodrome in the south of France, they managed to come back and secure a valuable point. Their recent performance has been impressive, with four consecutive wins, including impressive away victories in Amsterdam and Athens. This culminated in a thrilling late win over the 1993 European champions, proving their worth in this competition.
Kaoru Mitoma and Simon Adingra performed exceptionally on the sides, however, it was João Pedro – a Brazilian who was acquired from Watford for a record-breaking fee of £30m during the summer – who secured the victory with a confident goal just two minutes before the end of the game. “These are the greatest moments of my life,” he expressed afterwards, a feeling that surely resonates with many of Brighton’s supporters.
Marseille came to the southern coast with a perfect record in this tournament and a winning streak of four games. A key player in their improved performance under Gennaro Gattuso has been a rejuvenated Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who added four more goals to his hat-trick against Ajax last month, in Ligue 1 this month. However, the former Arsenal and Chelsea striker was overtaken by João Pedro as the top scorer in the Europa League, making it a disappointing night for Gattuso’s team. The Marseille manager commented, “We were lacking in quality.”
Jonathan Clauss, the wing-back for the visiting team, had the closest opportunity to score in the first half. In the 15th minute, his shot was deflected by Pascal Gross and ended up looping over Jason Steele’s head, hitting the underside of the crossbar before bouncing away to safety. De Zerbi and Gattuso seem to have reconciled after their falling out during a contentious Serie C promotion playoff in 2016 when they were managing Foggia and Pisa. However, the Brighton manager was unhappy with the frequent stoppages in the first half due to Marseille players time-wasting. He made his frustrations known to the Spanish referee. The best chance for his team in the first half came just before halftime when João Pedro had a chance to score after a smooth 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 noticeably increased their speed. The Ivory Coast winger later assisted Billy Gilmour in taking a long-range shot that was stopped by Pau López.
Gattuso brought Iliman Ndiaye, a former Sheffield United forward, onto the field as Marseille struggled to maintain possession against Brighton. Adingra, who had been playing well, stumbled at a critical moment when Mitoma made a skillful run and passed to him, causing his shot to sail over the crossbar. Marseille nearly capitalized on his mistake when Amine Harit’s shot rebounded off the post, but Brighton’s goalkeeper Steele was fortunate that the ball did not end up in Aubameyang’s path off his heel.
De Zerbi took a risk by bringing on Evan Ferguson as a forward, but it was Marseille who seemed more poised to secure the victory. Ndiaye missed a shot wide after a cross from Clauss. The Brighton manager became increasingly agitated as his team struggled to create any significant chances, while Marseille’s players deliberately slowed down the game to the delight of their fans behind Steele’s goal. However, their happiness was short-lived when a fantastic play involving several of Brighton’s players resulted in João Pedro scoring and sending the home fans into a state of excitement.
Source: theguardian.com
