It was a tempestuous night with 23 fouls, 11 yellow cards and shaky officiating on the south Coast, yet Premier League overachievers Brighton only had themselves to blame as their maiden European campaign got off to a sour start at home vs. Greek champions AEK Athens. Their summer signing and Argentine striker Ezequiel Ponce, came off the bench to sting them without warning.
Pedro’s penalty brace wasn’t enough
- AEK Athens were clear underdogs but result means they’ve beaten English opposition in Europe for the first time since 1977, previously 0-6 with Leicester (2020-21) most recently group stage winners home and away
- “Brighton controlled the second-half, fought right until the end and through that long period of added time. They deserved to take something from the game, but still plenty of positives to take forward,” former Brighton striker Glenn Murray’s post-match verdict on BBC Radio 5 Live
- £30m summer signing and goalscorer Joao Pedro laments the fact they conceded so early, tells TNT Sport they must learn from this defeat while drawing parallels to their 3-1 home defeat by West Ham on Aug. 26
After consecutive 3-1 Premier League victories over Newcastle and Manchester United – sandwiched between an international break – Brighton were brought back down to earth at home on their European debut by a savvy AEK Athens showing.
What will frustrate Roberto de Zerbi and his coaching staff even more is that this was a winnable opening Group B fixture, with Eredivisie giants Ajax and Ligue 1 side Marseille making up a fierce four-team group where nothing is guaranteed.
Club captain and influential defender Lewis Dunk was a helpless spectator from the dugout through a muscular injury, while highly-rated Irish teenage forward Evan Ferguson (illness) was sent home before kick-off. Barcelona loanee Ansu Fati featured from the start but besides a few promising touches, struggled to impact the game.
The evergreen James Milner went off injured with a muscular issue early in the second-half, while the rest of their backline was largely shaky – including fullback Pervis Estupinan and his south American counterpart Igor Júlio alongside him.
They now face three games in six days next week before travelling to France for MD2, against a managerless team packed with talent that haven’t begun the season well.
Brighton’s tough schedule
Sept. 24 – Bournemouth
Sept. 27 – Chelsea (EFL Cup)
Sept. 30 – Aston Villa
Oct. 5 – Marseille
Oct. 8 – Liverpool
Oct. 21 – Manchester City
Oct. 26 – Ajax
Oct. 29 – Fulham
As far as motivation is concerned, it speaks for itself. Europe is where they wanted to be, so can they realistically match that quality when it matters? The jury’s still out.
Sidibe’s silencer set the tone for a long night
Djibril Sidibe’s bullet header from a corner gave the visitors a surprise lead against the run of play after 11 minutes, Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma ruthlessly punished for failing to man-mark the former Monaco fullback on the edge of the area.
The defender still had work to do though, steering a diving header into the far corner from distance with Brighton players watching it arrow past them for the opener.
It could’ve been two in quick succession too, but goalkeeper Jason Steele closed down the angles well and denied Levi Garcia from point-blank range.
The visitors’ captain, Sergio Araujo, could’ve had an assist 10 minutes later but Garcia again lacked composure in the final moment after latching onto a defence-splitting pass, toepoking an effort well wide of Steele’s far post under pressure.
Speaking of potential assists Billy Gilmour was unafraid to produce adventurous forward passes, often a tad overhit for teammates but the right idea from a progressive player looking to create. There wasn’t enough of that others though.
Ehsan Haji Safi, who produced the corner delivery for Sidibe’s stunning opener, was left feeling embarrassed in his area just before the hour mark.
He caught Joao Pedro as the Brazilian winger twisted and turned inside the box, though his theatrical fall convinced Estonian referee Kristo Tohver to book the forward for diving. The players’ incredulous reaction suggested otherwise and before play resumed, VAR officials told him to take a second look at the pitchside monitor.
He did and subsequently erased the booking after pointing to the penalty spot. Pedro sent goalkeeper Cican Stankovic the wrong way, slotting home into the far corner, the equaliser a timely catalyst as Brighton’s collective confidence grew.
Just as quickly as they enjoyed a period of assertiveness in midfield with flicks and tricks for good measure, AEK stung them from another set-piece before half-time.
Another brilliant Haji Safi delivery, this time from a free-kick, was turned in by winger Mijat Gacinovic – who wouldn’t have known much about it – but slid across the turf and profited after a fortuitous ricochet off Garcia and Jan Paul van Hecke.
That goal came in minute 40, and soon enough van Hecke needed to make a last-gasp recovery challenge after making a mistake in possession himself.
It was an unsettling moment but the Dutchman timed his interception well, denying Orbelin Pineda as the midfielder shaped to shoot and the electronic board showed three additional minutes were incoming. Brighton clearly needed a reprieve.
They got one but rather than a purposeful response following the restart, the game’s tempo was staggered after a near 10-minute delay as Haji Safi’s accidental head clash with van Hecke saw the former worse for wear and stretchered off.
Poland international Damian Szymanski’s heavy touch to cut out Mitoma’s pass proved catastrophic in his box, albeit not immediately, as history repeated itself when he clumsily fouled Pedro in the area and the referee initially waved play on.
Again the referee overturned his decision after much consternation from the hosts, and Pedro kept his cool before sending Stankovic the wrong way a second time – switching sides, into the far corner once more.
In a game of such fine margins, Pedro should’ve had a hat-trick and been guilty of trying to be too clever in tight spaces where incision and simplicity was needed.
The super subs on show
Speaking of, AEK snatched a smash-and-grab victory without warning as their counter-attacking prowess was on full display with fresh legs providing the spark.
Mitoma, another influential player who endured a quiet game, was dispossessed cheaply near the halfway line and former Watford midfielder Nordin Amrabat didn’t hesitate to float a long ball forward after Jens Jonsson’s sharp interception.
Ponce, on off the bench for Garcia 15 minutes earlier, outmuscled fellow substitute Tariq Lamptey to the turf and exchanged passes with winger Niclas Eliasson before a stroke of luck saw his effort richochet back off Steele and into the empty net.
Brighton playmaker Pascal Gross forced a save late on, while late sub Danny Welbeck headed over the crossbar from a difficult angle on the rebound. Now it’s back to the drawing board, for a high-flying team who must learn and regroup quickly.
Picture source: Getty Images
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