On 14 December, one of the matches of the Europa League in football took place. Brighton (England) and Marseille (France) met.
Europa League
Brighton (England) - Marseille (France) - 1:0 (0:0)
Goals: Joao Pedro (88)
Warnings: K. Mbemba (76), Azzedine Ounai (79), Lallana (79), K. Mitoma (84), Joao Pedro (89).
Brighton defeat Marseille in tense UEFA Europa League encounter At the American Express Community Stadium, a tense battle unfolded between Brighton and Marseille in a UEFA Europa League match. The game remained goalless at half-time, but a late strike from Brighton's Joao Pedro secured a 1-0 win for the hosts. Both teams started the game with great determination, eager to showcase their abilities on the European stage. The first half was filled with several promising attacks and misses, but both teams failed to hit the goalposts. Brighton and Marseille's defences remained unwavering, preventing any scoring opportunities.
With the start of the second half, the desire to find a turning point intensified. In the 52nd minute, Marseille made their first substitution, bringing on Vitinho instead of I. Ndiaye. This substitution gave the French team fresh energy, but it was not enough to turn the tide. In response, Brighton made their first substitution in the 65th minute, bringing on S. Adingra instead of E. Ferguson. The purpose of this move was to add pace and creativity in the final third, creating more problems for the Marseille defence. As the game approached the climax, both teams made crucial changes to find the winning goal. In the 55th minute, Marseille introduced R. Lodi in place of M. Murillo, and in the 74th minute, Brighton introduced J. Hinshelwood in place of J. Milner. The turning point came in the 88th minute thanks to Brighton's Joao Pedro. The forward showed great composure in the penalty area and struck an accurate shot past the Marseille goalkeeper, which delighted the spectators. Towards the end of the match both teams had to deal with a flurry of yellow cards. Marseille's K. Mbemba was cautioned in the 76th minute, followed by Brighton's A. Lallana and Marseille's A. Unai in the 79th minute. Tensions continued to rise when K. Mitoma was cautioned in the 84th minute. In the last minutes of the game Marseille made two quick substitutions: A. Harit replaced G. Kondogbia and I. Sarr replaced K. Mbemba. Brighton responded with the last substitutions: Joao Pedro replaced J. Veltman and B. Gilmour replaced K. Balleb. After the half-time whistle, Brighton celebrated a hard-won victory over Marseille. The game demonstrated the intensity and competitiveness of the UEFA Europa League, leaving fans in suspense until the last minute. Brighton's goal in the final minutes of the match demonstrated the importance of perseverance and quality at crucial moments. Both teams showed resilience and showcased their talent on the European stage, leaving fans excited for future matches in the tournament.
| Brighton | Marseille | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Kicks to the goal | 0 |
| 13 | Kicks | 5 |
| 4 | Blocked shots | 1 |
| 7 | Penalty kicks | 2 |
| 6 | Kicks from outside the penalty box | 3 |
| 15 | Offences | 12 |
| 0 | Corner kicks | 2 |
| 1 | Offsides | 5 |
| 61% | Ball possession | 39% |
| 3 | Yellow cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 0 | Keeper saves | 4 |
| 608 | Total assists | 379 |
| 548 | Accurate assists | 310 |
| 90% | Transmission accuracy | 82% |