Brighton and Hove Albion vs Marseille. UEFA Europa League Group B.
Amex StadiumAttendance30,214.
Match report as Brighton qualify for the Europa League last 16 after a 1-0 win over Marseille in their Group B match at the Amex Stadium; Joao Pedro has scored six goals in the Europa League - the outright most of any player in the group stages of all European competitions this season
Thursday 14 December 2023 22:47, UK
Joao Pedro made sure Brighton avoided the inconvenience of a Europa League play-off as his superb strike saw the Seagulls edge Marseille to the top of Group B with a 1-0 victory.
Brazilian Joao Pedro crashed in an 89th-minute winner to continue Brighton's dream first European campaign.
The 1993 European Cup winners, Marseille, struck the post and the bar through Jonathan Clauss and Amine Harit - and they will now face one of the Champions League third-placed finishers - Galatasaray, Lens, Braga, Benfica, Feyenoord, AC Milan, Young Boys or Shakhtar Donetsk - while Brighton skip straight to the last 16.
"I lost my voice, I lost everything," Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi said afterwards. "We haven't won anything…yet, but we are really happy and proud.
"I told the players before the game that the game was more important for us than them. Marseille are used to playing in European competitions.
"To finish at the top of the table is a historical moment. The atmosphere during the game was incredible. The crowd were a 12th player like I've never seen before.
"It is important because we don't have to play an extra game. After going 2-0 down in Marseille in the first game, we changed everything and after that game we won four games in a row with four clean sheets in a row. That is incredible."
De Zerbi dedicated the result to the players and fans of former club Foggia - who lost a Serie C title decider to Gennaro Gattuso-managed Pisa in 2016.
His revenge on the now Marseille boss came courtesy of Joao Pedro - who ended the group stage with six goals and the competition's leading scorer.
Simon Adingra was offered the match's first chance in the seventh minute when he skipped in from the right to curl powerlessly towards Pau Lopez.
One of the storylines of the game was Joao Pedro versus Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with the pair the joint-top-scorers of the Europa League group stage with five strikes each.
Joao Pedro always looked likelier to bolster his numbers as he had three half-decent first-half opportunities.
Firstly, the Brazilian could not control the pace of Jack Hinshelwood's drilled cross and blazed over. Then he had an overhead kick blocked at point-blank range, before the frontman twisted onto his left foot and scuffed towards Lopez.
At the other end, former Arsenal and Chelsea striker Aubameyang was kept anonymous by Lewis Dunk - who impressed in front of England manager Gareth Southgate.
Kaoru Mitoma also muddied Lopez's gloves but caused little worry for the Spaniard.
In fact, the closest either side came to a first-half opener was when Clauss found a pocket of space on the edge of the Brighton box in the 15th minute.
The full-back's shot looped up off Pascal Gross and over a stranded Jason Steele but fortunately for the hosts onto the underside of the bar.
Marseille stuck the frame of the goal again after the break as midfielder Harit fashioned himself space in a crowded box to smash against the base of the post.
Billy Gilmour tried his luck from range and Adingra's knack of slipping at inopportune moments had him strike over twice.
The final 20 minutes saw any pretence Marseille were attempting to attack ended as they parked 11 players behind the ball and it came back to haunt them.
Substitute Evan Ferguson found a pocket of space in the box but the Irishman could not keep his shot down.
And moments later Joao Pedro notched his sixth goal of the competition with an emphatic finish from just inside the box into the top corner after collecting the ball from Gross.
De Zerbi, desperate to avoid an extra round, jumped into a section of the home fans to the side of his technical areas as the Amex erupted.
Marseille boss Gattuso said: "We knew what type of match this would be. We knew what level Brighton play at and the quality they have.
"We prepared to face them but their level of quality was too strong. We didn't lack courage but it is the quality in the end that showed."
Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi to TNT Sports:
"This is the best moment in my time [here].
"The message is Saturday, Arsenal. Second one is I congratulated Adingra. He made a lot of mistakes but I love his attitude, his behaviour. The problem isn't making mistakes, it's after the mistakes if you try again. We are Brighton. We have to push, we have to try again if we make mistakes. I told them I'm really proud.
"We will play two games less. We want to dream. We want to prepare for that game for our best to win another step."
De Zerbi said of his goalscorer: "Joao is playing very well. He is becoming a great player in mentality - which playing for his national team has helped.
"The qualities of Joao are clear. We want to help him become a great player."
Billy Gilmour had a 100 per cent passing accuracy in the game. 60 out of 60. He was outstanding, but you can't keep Joao Pedro out of the headlines.
The Brazilian has scored six goals in the UEFA Europa League this season - the outright most of any player in the group stages of all European competitions this season. The forward has also scored more goals than any other player for the Seagulls across all competitions this term (11 goals).
"I'm very happy," Joao Pedro told TNT Sports. "These are the best moments of my life. Thank you to my team-mates, they always support me.
"I'm very happy to be top scorer in the Europa League. To be top of the table, in the league or top scorer, you need to keep going through hard work."
Sky Sports' Ben Grounds:
"There were brilliant scenes for Brighton. Roberto De Zerbi threw himself into the crowd.
"From the first night and the home defeat to AEK Athens, the joy of their fans, as players indulged in a lap of honour after topping Europa League Group B, was richly deserved. They had to learn on the job but they came into their own and collected 13 points from their subsequent five games.
"They were superb against Marseille just in terms of being patient in finding a way to get a winner. Now they can look forward to the next round and the draw on Monday. All football fans long for nights such as these.
"In a group that comprised of Marseille, Ajax and AEK of Athens, they sit proudly at the very top on their first venture in Europe. Group winners.
"Joao Pedro has been the man of the moment so often in this competition, and his sixth goal means he is its outright top goalscorer. His finish defined everything about Roberto De Zerbi's side: patient, intricate, unhurried and clean.
"The Brazilian joined this summer as the club's record signing and he is repaying that show of faith in spades. This was a statement win for Brighton - and they will prove very difficult to knock out of this competition."
Brighton now turn their attention to the Premier League as they visit Arsenal on Sunday, kick-off at 2pm.
Marseille are also in action on Sunday afternoon as they host Clermont Foot in Ligue 1, kick-off at 4.30pm.
