AEK Athens v Brighton live – UEFA Europa League latest as ...

30 Nov 2023

Updated 30/11/2023 at 19:25 GMT

Brighton know they are 10 minutes away now from securing a place in the knockouts. All about game management, this, particularly a man up.

Brighton - Figure 1
Photo BT Sport

Tactical change from De Zerbi with Milner on.

On

J. Milner

Brighton & Hove Albion

Off

J. Pedro

Brighton & Hove Albion

Ferguson is through on goal and looks to take it around Stankovic. So often we see penalties in that situation, but the AEK ‘keeper does brilliantly to get a touch to take it away from the Brighton forward.

Down the other end, Pineda is a whisker away from levelling for AEK. A huge warning! His attempt looks as though it comes off Dunk when going wide of the far post, but it’s a goal kick and a reprieve for Brighton.

Mantalos, Zuber and Amrabat go off for AEK with Ponce, Araujo and Eliasson on. They’re going for it.

It’s 11 v 10 now and Brighton know the tide has turned. Gilmour goes close but fires his effort over.

A sub now and that’s Mitoma’s evening over – he didn’t quite look fully fit to be honest. Dahoud replaces him.

On

M. Dahoud

Brighton & Hove Albion

Off

K. Mitoma

Brighton & Hove Albion

It’s going from bad to worse for AEK and particularly Gacinovic. Veltman gets to the ball a split-second before the AEK player, and on a yellow card already, it’s a second booking after he treads on the boot of the Brighton defender. He didn’t mean it, but he was too late, and now he’s off…

Brighton - Figure 2
Photo BT Sport

Red card

M. Gacinovic

AEK Athens

AEK just getting a bit foully – if that‘s a word? Zuber leads in with his elbow as he goes up for a header that Gilmour was always going to get to first. The elbow is into Gilmour’s body and isn’t dangerous, hence the yellow.

Yellow card

S. Zuber

AEK Athens

Vida puts in a hefty tackle on Joao Pedro and the Brighton forward is holding his back as he receives some medical attention.

He's down for a while, but a thumbs-up from a member of Brighton's medical staff towards De Zerbi suggests he will be okay to continue, for now.

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GOAL! AEK ATHENS 0-1 BRIGHTON (JOAO PEDRO)

Joao Pedro makes no mistake from the spot! Brighton’s No 9 sends Stankovic the wrong way and the Seagulls are on course to reach the knockouts with a game to spare!

They haven’t been at their best, and yet they’re ahead!

Penalty

J. Pedro

Brighton & Hove Albion

VAR CHECK – PENALTY TO BRIGHTON

Sandro Scharer has been sent to the pitchside monitor…

Brighton - Figure 3
Photo BT Sport

Pedro gets goal-side of Szymanski and goes down in the AEK box. Scharer has a quick watch and gives the penalty to Brighton!

Just as we say that… AEK are on the attack and Mantalos pulls it back for Gacinovic, whose effort from the edge of the area is straight at Verbruggen but has some fizz on it, forcing the Brighton ‘keeper to get one hand to it and parry it away.

A POINT DECENT FOR BRIGHTON

As it stands you are starting to look at this as a valuable point for Brighton. It would keep them three above AEK at the very least with qualification still in their own hands heading into the final game against Marseille.

That said. There’s plenty of football left to play, and still goalless so this could go either way.

It’s AEK who settle down the quicker of the two teams. Eager no doubt to pick up where they left off.

2nd Half

Well. The good news for Brighton is that they start the second half 0-0.

LOW POSSESSION FOR BRIGHTON

AEK had 13 attempts in the opening 45 minutes, with TNT Sports expert Peter Crouch admitting at half-time Brighton were “poor”, while Steve Sidwell claimed it was the “worst” display he has seen from the Seagulls.

With just 43 per cent possession, it was their lowest half-time total this campaign so far.

Ahead of kick-off, TNT Sports experts Peter Crouch and Steve Sidwell discussed the poor recent form of Brighton.

The pair siad they could understand why manager Roberto De Zerbi celebrated the recent late winner against Nottingham Forest so much, because the results had not been coming.

discovery+ is the streaming home of TNT Sports, the only place to watch the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League live.

Please note this video can only be viewed in the UK and Ireland.

End of 1st Half

And not a single minute added on!

That's half-time, and with Zuber the width of a post away from putting AEK ahead moments ago, you have to say Brighton will be glad to head in goalless and catch a break.

The hosts were certainly on top, and that makes for a big second half coming up.

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