The media review: Marseille

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How the newspapers and websites reported Thursday's 2-2 draw.

Nick Szczepanik

2023-10-06T10:29:00Z

Tariq Lamptey won the penalty late on from which Albion equalised.

The football writers who joined Albion fans on their trip to Marseille were impressed by the team’s second-half fightback.

Two goals down at the interval, Roberto De Zerbi’s men claimed their first point in Europa League Group B thanks to Joao Pedro’s late penalty equaliser in a 2-2 draw.

Matt Barlow of the Daily Mail wrote that “Brighton are learning quickly on their crash course in European football as they fought back to earn their first point to subdue the fervour inside the Stade Velodrome.

“Joao Pedro came off the bench to the score the equaliser, coolly converted from the spot in the 88th minute. It was a soft one, awarded for an innocuous trip by Jonathan Clauss on Tariq Lamptey, but Roberto de Zerbi’s team deserved something for a spirited response to a dreadful first 20 minutes.

“Marseille keeper Pau Lopez produced two fine saves to deny Ansu Fati and Danny Welbeck before Pascal Gross pulled a goal back early in the second half after a good run by Lamptey and a pass by Kaoru Mitoma. Dunk made an excellent recovery block on Vitinha to prevent a third for Marseille and De Zerbi made attacking changes. Mitoma was denied by Lopez but the pressure told and Pedro levelled from the spot, his third equalising penalty in two Europa League ties.”

Jack Rosser of The Sun began his story before kick-off. “Things got off to a bad start hours before kick-off, with chairman Tony Bloom stuck at Heathrow – delayed by three hours alongside a number of fans.

“Bloom, held up as the example for all other Premier League owners to follow, enhanced his reputation with a late dash to the ground. The billionaire announced over the plane’s PA that he had arranged for a bus to bring everyone’s tickets to the airport and drive them straight to the stadium, arriving just in time for kick-off.

“Brighton had looked nothing like themselves for the first half but finally turned on the style after 54 minutes. Tariq Lamptey worked a pocket of space down the left with a jinking run, found Kaoru Mitoma, who managed to pick out Gross to finish first time.

“The Albion support, high up in the swooping Velodrome, could be heard for the first time above the unrelenting din of Marseille’s ultras. They were finally seeing a Brighton they recognised.

“Gaps were being opened, Mitoma and Simon Adingra both seeing chances come and go but the pressure kept building. But they kept pushing and finally got the chance when Clauss stamped on Lamptey’s foot in the box. Pedro stood over the spot kick facing a wall of noise which collapsed when he slotted low and left.”

On the Daily Mirror website, former University of Brighton man Ryan Taylor wrote that “Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton heroes fought back from 2-0 down at half-time to earn a priceless point in Marseille via Joao Pedro's ice-cold 88th-minute penalty.

“Albion stood tall in the face of adversity after a catastrophic 90-second spell inside the opening 20 minutes threatened to mar the club's first-ever European away fixture. Defeat would have left Brighton with a mountain to climb but their hopes of knockout qualification are still very much alive following this valiant fightback kickstarted by Pascal Gross.

“De Zerbi had claimed the 6-1 defeat at Aston Villa would prove significant in improving the mentality of his squad - evidently he was undoubtedly right. This time around there would be no one-sided beatdown as Brighton bravely held their nerve after initially falling victim to one of Europe's most volatile atmospheres.

“The visitors’ quality eventually shone through after the interval when Gross steered home from Kaoru Mitoma's pullback on 54 minutes to offer Albion hope. And if Dunk had cost Brighton a goal in the first-half, he certainly prevented another when he made two crucial blocks - the best of which stopped Vitinha from restoring Marseille's two-goal cushion.”

Ed Aarons of The Guardian thought that “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 the substitute João Pedro’s equaliser from the penalty spot two minutes from full time.

“It was the Brazilian’s third successful penalty of the competition already after Pascal Gross had pulled one back and while Brighton remain bottom of their group in their debut Europa League campaign, they showed they belong at this level and kept their hopes of progressing to the group stages very much still alive.

“The lifeline Brighton were looking for eventually came nine minutes into the second half when Lamptey played in Kaoru Mitoma and his cut-back 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. The substitute Vitinha could have settled it 20 minutes from time after a quick breakaway, only for Dunk to save the day with a last-ditch tackle.

“De Zerbi threw on Pedro, Simon Adingra and Evan Ferguson as his side continued to press for an equaliser, with Mitoma drawing a good save from Torres 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 Pedro kept his cool to make it a night to remember for Brighton and their fans.”

Kaoru Mitoma was increasingly influential in the Stade Veledrome.

On the Daily Telegraph website, Robert O’Connor wrote that “Brighton gave themselves a Europa League lifeline as Joao Pedro’s late penalty completed a comeback from two goals down away to Marseille and helped Roberto De Zerbi’s side avoid a second straight European defeat.

“Pedro slotted home in the 88th minute after Tariq Lamptey was tripped inside the box, earning the visitors what had looked an unlikely point when Marseille duo Chancel Mbemba and Jordan Veretout struck two goals within a minute of each other in the first half.

“At that stage, a badly out-of-sorts Brighton looked like they would be lucky to avoid the kind of thrashing Aston Villa meted out to them on Saturday. Marseille threw everything at them, whilst the visitors gave only space and encouragement.

“Still they held on, figured out how to contain Gennaro Gattuso’s side, and hit back. Pascal Gross made it 2-1 after 54 minutes, and from there their pressure grew until Pedro’s dramatic intervention at the death.”