João Pedro strikes late to sink Marseille and put Brighton in last 16

Roberto De Zerbi has acknowledged that, like his Brighton team, he remains a work in progress as a manager. The Italian looked like he would be forced to settle for a place in the playoff round of the Europa League after being frustrated in their attempts to overhaul Marseille at the top of their group by their canny opponents.

But a late strike from João Pedro with his sixth goal of the competition ensured they advance directly to the last 16 at the expense of the French side. Having lost their first-ever European game against AEK Athens here back in September, qualifying as group winners represents quite a feat for a club that was playing in League One as recently as 2011 and can now plan the next stage of their great adventure with absolute relish after this famous victory.

Brighton’s fortunes in the Europa League were transformed during the second half of their previous meeting with Marseille in the south of France back in October when they battled back from 2-0 down in the Stade Velodrome to earn a precious point. Three successive victories including impressive away wins in Amsterdam and Athens since then had already assured their progress in their debut European campaign but this was an opportunity to make a statement against another club with real European pedigree. De Zerbi made six changes from the side that disappointingly drew with Burnley here at the weekend, with Kaoru Mitoma deemed fit to start after recovering from injury.

Marseille arrived on the south coast unbeaten in this competition and having won their last four games. Central to their revival under Gennaro Gattuso has been a rejuvenated Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has followed up his hat-trick against Ajax at the end of last month with another four goals in Ligue 1 this month. But it was wing-back Jonathan Clauss who came closest to opening the scoring in the first half when his effort deflected off Pascal Gross in the 15th minute and looped over the head of Jason Steele onto the underside of the crossbar before spinning away to safety.

De Zerbi said last week that he wanted Facundo Buonanotte “to observe Adam Lallana because he can be like” the midfielder who is now an assistant coach for England’s under 21 sides. The 18-year-old who is already an Argentina international seems to have taken his advice on board and was at the heart of Brighton’s best attacking moves from his No 10 role here. One measured pass on the half-turn played in Mitoma but his shot was straight at Marseille goalkeeper Pau López.

De Zerbi and Gattuso appear to have buried the hatchet after falling out during a fractious Serie C promotion playoff in 2016 when they were in charge of Foggia and Pisa respectively, although the Brighton manager was not happy with the number of stoppages during the first half as Marseille players repeatedly time-wasted and made his feelings known to the Spanish referee. His side’s best chance of the first half fell to João Pedro just before the break after a lovely flowing move but the Brazil forward’s effort was tame.

João Pedro was not far away from converting Simon Adingra’s fizzing cross moments into the second half as Brighton noticeably stepped up the pace. The Ivory Coast winger then set up Billy Gilmour for a shot from distance that López did well to smother.

Gattuso turned to former Sheffield United forward Iliman Ndiaye off the bench but Marseille found themselves pinned inside their own half as Brighton controlled possession. Otherwise impressive, Adingra slipped just at the crucial moment when he was set up by Mitoma’s mazy dribble and spooned his shot hopelessly over the crossbar. Marseille almost made him pay for his profligacy when Amine Harit’s effort cannoned back off the post after Jason Steele was beaten, with the Brighton goalkeeper relieved to see the danger averted after the ball nearly fell into Aubameyang’s path via his heel.

De Zerbi decided to go for broke and threw on Evan Ferguson up front but it was Marseille who looked more likely to snatch the win when Ndiaye dragged his shot wide after a cross from Clauss. The Brighton manager’s agitation grew as his side failed to muster a chance of note with Marseille’s players successfully slowing down the game at every opportunity to the delight of their fans massed behind Steele’s goal. But their joy was short-lived when a brilliant move involving most of Brighton’s players allowed João Pedro to send the home supporters into raptures.