Brighton’s trip into the unknown was always going to be a steep learning curve. But Roberto De Zerbi’s side recovered from the shock of conceding two goals in less than 90 seconds to Marseille’s Chancel Mbemba and Jordan Veretout to secure a vital point thanks to a magnificent fightback capped by substitute João Pedro’s equaliser from the penalty spot two minutes from full time.
It was the Brazilian’s third penalty of the competition already after Pascal Gross had pulled one back early in the second half to begin the revival. While Brighton remain bottom of their group in their debut Europa League campaign after losing their opening match against AEK Athens, their response showed they belong at this level and kept hopes of progressing from the group stages very much still alive.
“We are not playing well and it is difficult to show our quality,” De Zerbi said. “But in football it’s important to play with heart, passion and the right behaviour.
“I’m really really proud of my players – this reaction is incredible.”
The Brighton chief executive, Paul Barber, had described their first taste of European football on the continent as “another test” for the club that has come so far in a short space of time. There can be few as intimidating atmospheres as the Stade Vélodrome for a Marseille home fixture, even if the French club’s manager, Gennaro Gattuso, came into his first game at the venue with his new side having failed to win in their last five matches.
De Zerbi had stoked his personal rivalry with Gattuso before the match by saying that this game would be different to a Serie C playoff he lost while managing Foggia in 2016. Yet, he acknowledged that an element of stage fright had played a part in his side’s disastrous start before they rescued a draw.
“It’s possible we suffered from the atmosphere in our first away game and we have to get used to playing in this competition,” De Zerbi said. “Maybe we have to have more confidence in ourselves.”
Home supporters behind Jason Steele’s goal unfurled a giant banner as the players emerged on to the pitch at the start with the words “Our hate, Our pride” that underlined their complicated relationship with the current side after a poor start to the season.
There are no such issues with Brighton, of course, although heavy traffic meant that even the intervention of the owner and chairman, Tony Bloom, could not help some visiting fans avoid a mad dash to the stadium under full police escort after the flight he was on was delayed and Bloom arranged for coaches to collect them from the airport.
Both of Marseille’s goals in the first half came down the left flank usually occupied by Pervis Estupiñán, with the injured Ecuador defender’s replacement, Tariq Lamptey, left bamboozled by a great move that culminated in Mbemba sweeping home a cross from Jonathan Clauss. The second was almost a carbon copy after Lewis Dunk’s botched clearance squandered possession and Veretout was able to double Marseille’s lead from Amine Harit’s cross after Steele failed to react quickly enough to his shot.
Confirmation that it was not going to be Brighton’s night seemed to come soon after when referee Mykola Balakin awarded them a penalty for a handball, only to overturn it for a foul by Jan Paul van Hecke just beforehand after consulting the pitchside monitor.
Things could have got even worse for the visitors had Steele not been equal to Harit’s effort from outside the area as the home side smelled blood.
An Ansu Fati header just before half-time from Mo Dahoud’s precise chip that forced Marseille goalkeeper Pau López into serious action for the first time at least gave De Zerbi something to cling to at the break, with Danny Welbeck also coming close to reducing the arrears.
John McGinn's last-gasp winner saved Aston Villa from embarrassment as they laboured to an uninspiring 1-0 victory against Zrinjski Mostar.
The captain netted in the fourth minute of added time to floor the side from Bosnia and Herzegovina. It looks like Villa's Europa Conference League campaign would continue to stutter until then after the hosts were left frustrated by their organised and combative opponents, who refused to buckle until stoppage time.
Despite dominating, Villa struggled to break Mostar down and had a penalty call reversed in the second half. Referee Urs Schnyder changed his decision to award a spot-kick for handball after replays showed Ollie Watkins' header hit Slobodan Jakovljevic in the face.
Youri Tielemans and Nicolò Zaniolo went close before McGinn rescued the hosts in stoppage time whenMatty Cash got free on the right and crossed for the midfielder to nod in from six yards.
Aberdeen came from behind to rescue a point against HJK Helsinki in the Europa Conference League at Pittodrie.
Despite creating the best opportunities in a cagey contest, the hosts fell behind just before the hour mark through Bojan Radulovic's strike.
However, a fine header from Bojan Miovski saw the Dons get off the mark in Group G following their opening-match defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt a fortnight ago.
The lifeline Brighton were praying for eventually came 10 minutes into the second half when the determined Lamptey played in Kaoru Mitoma and his cutback was finished off first time by Gross.
Suddenly, Brighton managed to find their groove, prompting Gattuso to withdraw Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in an attempt to shut up shop. Substitute Vitinha could have settled it 20 minutes from time for the home side after a quick breakaway, only for Dunk to save the day with a last-ditch tackle.
De Zerbi threw on João Pedro, Simon Adingra and Evan Ferguson as his side continued to press for an equaliser, with Mitoma drawing a good save from López at the end of a swift counterattack.
The Japan winger looked the most likely source of a goal but it was Lamptey who drew Clauss into a clumsy challenge inside the area and João Pedro kept his cool to make it a night to remember for Brighton and their fans.
