The Fable of Brighton: A Journey of Redemption and Heartbreak in European Football

The fable of Brighton is one of those events worthy of a movie. A story with a happy ending. In 1996, the club from the city in the south of England was a team that was dying in the shadows of the English fourth division, on the brink of relegation, that saw the disappearance of the entity in its eyes and that was forced to sell his stadium, his home, to survive. Immortal. Without a stadium, but with the support of an unwavering fan base, together they began to forge a future that today is more present than ever. A story of redemption. Over an Amex Stadium to the flag and, 26 years later, Brighton presented itself to the Old Continent and experienced its first and painful European night with AEK Athens as the culprit. In the week that marked one year since the arrival of Roberto de Zerbi to the bench and in which it was Ansu Fati’s first start, Brighton’s celebration was not full. And Ansu’s debut was far from what he dreamed of.

Brighton paid the price for inexperience in a Europe that is a big deal. It does not forgive, but you kill, they kill you and, in it, mistakes are paid dearly, very dearly. And if you ask the ‘seagulls’. The Greeks, for their part, took no prisoners immediately and effectively, and attacked the Islands from a dead ball. De Zerbi’s team started with the usual dominance, Mitoma and March being two headaches for the visiting defense, Ansu damaging inside and Joao Pedro fixing the center backs well. But soon they received the first slap. Following a corner taken by Pineda, Areuca took advantage of it, unmarked at the penalty spot, to demolish the ‘seagulls’ hopes with a header. Brighton’s response was immediate with Ansu as the protagonist. The former Barcelona striker, with the goal in his veins and the desire to redeem himself, received the ball inside the area and, without thinking twice, came close to equalizing it with a dry shot. This one’s destiny, directly into the body of a Stankovic who did not hesitate and cleared the corner with his fists.

Ansu’s warning woke up Brighton who, minutes later, found the prize of a tie. Joao Pedro, the architect. From the maximum penalty that he himself caused, the Brazilian striker sealed the tie by deceiving Stankovic and writing his name in the club’s golden pages as the first European goal in Brighton’s history. The joy for the ‘Seagulls’ did not last long, as once again a set-piece action and a new defensive error by the local defense put AEK ahead. On the edge of half-time, a ball rained down from his home in Hajsafi was caught by Gacinovic in the heart of the area to put the Greeks ahead again against a Steele that he could do little or nothing about. Once again he had to row against De Zerbi’s team in a second period that had the same script.

An unrecognizable Brighton, in a constant will and can’t held back by the AEK defense and without that showy and daring game that it is used to in the Premier League, entrusted itself to the creativity of Mitoma and an insistent Ansu Fati, who tried again and again. again with constant unchecking, although without success. Until Joao Pedro appeared again. The ’10’ created a new action inside the area that ended again in a shot from eleven meters. The Brazilian tricked Stankovic again and made it 2-2. Then, the ‘Brighton moment’ did arrive. With the push of the Amex Stadium, the ‘seagulls’ threw themselves into an open grave for the game, although without fangs. First Mitoma wasted a dead ball inside the area and, immediately afterwards, Ansu with a tame shot into the hands of Stankovic were able to tip the balance.

With less than ten minutes remaining and with AEK giving the impression that they considered the tie valid, the Greeks found themselves in front of the goal. Without wanting it or looking for it. Eliasson took advantage of a loss in Brighton’s midfield so that Ponce, with some luck, beat Steele and sent De Zerbi’s team to the canvas. Again in tow and with almost a quarter of an hour added due to the injuries of Milner and Hajsafi, Brighton, with more heart than head, died standing against an iron AEK that destroyed any hint of a chance and conquered the Amex Stadium on a bittersweet night both for Brighton and for Ansu Fati.

Changes

Tariq Lamptey (54′, James Milner), Birthday Mohammadi (60′, Ehsan Hajisafi), Steven Zuber (67′, Sergio Araújo), Ezequiel Ponce (67′, Levi García), Niclas Eliasson (78′, Mijat Gacinovic), Petros Mantalos (78′, Orbelín Pineda), Danny Welbeck (81′, João Pedro), Simon Adingra (85′, Kaoru Mitoma), Facundo Goodnight (85′, Billy Gilmour)

Goals

0-1, 10′: Sidibe1-1, 29′: João Pedro1-2, 39′: Gacinovic2-2, 66′: João Pedro2-3, 83′: Ezequiel Ponce

Cards

Arbitro: Kristo Tohver
VAR referee: Juan Martínez Munuera, Pol van Boekel
Sidibe (46′, Yellow) Igor Julio (46′, Yellow) Estupinan (65′, Yellow) Gerasimos Mitoglou (65′, Yellow) Damian Szymański (66′, Yellow) Ezequiel Ponce (68′, Yellow) Gacinovic (71′, Yellow) Jan Paul van Hecke (75′, Yellow) Welbeck (92′, Yellow) Petros Mandalos (97′, Yellow) Birthday Mohammadi (99′,Yellow)

Classification Group B PT PJ PG PE PP 1

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1 0 0 1 Group B PT PJ PG PE PP

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2023-09-21 21:11:36
#Ansu #missing #AS.com