Late Pedro penalty earns Brighton draw at Marseille

Joao Pedro scored a late penalty as Brighton fought back from two goals down to earn their first point in European football with a battling Europa League draw at Marseille.

Two goals in as many first-half minutes gave them a mountain to climb as former Newcastle defender Chancel Mbemba swept in before Jordan Veretout took advantage of a mistake by Brighton captain Lewis Dunk to add a second moments later.

Brighton thought they were awarded a penalty by the video assistant referee (VAR) soon after, with the referee appearing to point to the spot after consulting the pitchside monitor, but instead a free-kick for a foul was given to Marseille.

The visitors overcame that disappointment to pull a goal back early in the second half when Pascal Gross drove in from a Kaoru Mitoma cutback, before Pedro kept his cool to complete the impressive recovery.

A tale of two halves

After conceding two quick goals, a point looked unlikely for Brighton, who were far from their best in the opening 45 minutes.

They struggled to produce their usual free-flowing football and were making mistakes in defence, with Mbemba given far too much space for the opener before an uncharacteristic lapse in concentration by Dunk.

When VAR confusion led to Brighton not getting a penalty they thought they had been given before the break, it looked like it would not be their night.

But Roberto de Zerbi’s side came out for the second half much improved as they attacked with pace and a directness that Marseille struggled to deal with.

Gross’ goal gave Brighton hope and when Tariq Lamptey was brought down inside the box, Pedro stepped up to score his third goal in Europe.

There remain concerns over Brighton defensively – they have conceded 20 goals in 10 games in all competitions this season – but they will rightly celebrate this historic point.

De Zerbi praises ‘incredible’ reaction

With Brighton 2-0 down at half-time, De Zerbi could have been forgiven for fearing a repeat of the Villa game, but his side produced a response to be proud of.

“I’m really proud of the performance today, of the players,” he said.

“After the defeat 6-1 at Villa Park and the second goal to close the first half at 2-0, this reaction is incredible. For it I am very happy.

“It’s important playing with heart, passion and the right behaviour.”