November 30, (THEWILL) – Brighton and Hove Albion secured their place in the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League with a 1-0 victory over AEK Athens. The decisive moment came in the 55th minute when Joao Pedro converted a penalty, earning the Seagulls all three points and sealing their qualification for the next round.
Brighton had a tough time in the first half, with AEK Athens dominating possession and creating several chances. The Seagulls managed just one shot on target, with Evan Ferguson’s low strike being saved by AEK goalkeeper, Cican Stankovic.
The hosts also came close to scoring, with Mijat Gacinovic and Orbelin Pineda both hitting the side netting, and Steven Zuber clattering the inside of the post with a powerful strike. Gacinovic had a chance for the rebound, but could not find the target.
The momentum shifted in Brighton’s favour after the break. In the 55th minute, Pedro was brought down in the box by AEK’s Damian Szymanski, leading to a penalty. After a VAR check, Pedro calmly rolled his shot into the bottom right corner, giving Brighton the lead. AEK’s task became even more difficult when Gacinovic was sent off for a late tackle on Joel Veltman in the 65th minute.
Despite being down to 10 men, AEK Athens pushed for an equaliser. Vida had a late opportunity but headed wide, and Brighton held on to secure the victory and their place in the Europa League knockout stages. AEK will now travel to face Aris Thessaloniki in the Greek Super League, while Brighton’s next challenge is an away match against Chelsea in the English Premier League.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
