Brighton 2 Ajax 0: Seagulls seal first ever European win with thumping display against Dutch giants
BRIGHTON have arrived in Europe, claiming a historic first ever win on this stage in some style.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side played European greats Ajax off the park as Joao Pedro and fellow summer signing Ansu Fati put an end to their run of five without a win to spark their Europa League campaign into life.
This is no great Ajax side, sitting 17th in the Eredivisie and without a manager, but the four time European Cup winners have quite the history – and Brighton dominated them throughout.
After two frustrating opening games in the competition, when everyone knew this team was capable of far more, De Zerbi’s side found their feet here and moved off the bottom of Group B.
These were the nights the Sussex faithful had been dreaming of, not just a special occasion because there was European football at The Amex, but a statement performance to go with it.
Brighton can now look ahead to the three return fixtures and, on this form, look to blitz their way through the group.
The Seagulls had suffered from slow starts in their first two European outings, unable to recover against AEK Athens and having to come from two down to claim a point in Marseille.
But despite their increasing injury issues they looked far more like their brilliant selves from last season, dominating the ball from the off and slowly building pressure.
Pedro and James Milner both had early attempts, the former Watford man firing wide before the veteran fired a low effort straight at Diant Ramaj in the Ajax goal.
Kaoru Mitoma was a constant threat down the left, having to offer even more following the season-ending injury to Solly March.
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The man tasked with replacing March on the other flank, Simon Adingra, fizzed a volley just over the bar.
Brighton were passing and probing, conducted by a raving De Zerbi on the sideline.
Despite the chances coming and going, the Seagulls never wavered from the plan and claimed their reward through a familiar face in this competition.
Pedro had bagged three goals in his first two Europa League games before tonight, all three from the spot.
This time he showed his sharp side in the box to race in and turn Mitoma’s parried strike home on 43 minutes.
Brighton more than deserved their lead and could have easily been further ahead at the break.
Ajax were showing little response to the sacking of their manager, Maurice Steijn, on Monday.
Ex-Tottenham man Steven Bergwijn was kept under lock and key by Joel Veltman, who spent 19 years at Ajax before joining Brighton, while bulky Brian Brobbey cut a frustrated figure up top.
The Dutch giants were sitting deep, playing physical and were castigated by their own travelling fans for passing backwards under pressure from De Zerbi’s side.
They are a long way from the Ajax of four years ago and that Champions League semi-final against Tottenham and in a different galaxy to the great era of Johan Cruyff.
It took until after the break for them to muster a first effort on target, with Jason Steele saving sharply from Steven Berghuis.
But that was about as good as it got from the fallen greats of Europe.
Brighton doubled their lead minutes later with the kind of glorious goal you would have expected from an Ajax side in their pomp.
Billy Gilmour slipped a smart pass into the feet of Adingra, who turned before chopping inside his man with a back heel and clipping the ball forward for Fati.
The on-loan Barcelona wonderkid took one touch before finishing through the legs of Josip Sutalo, making it two in two after his goal at The Etihad on Saturday.
He could have had a second moments later too, flashing a powerful finish wide of the far post.
Berghuis was the only one in an Ajax shirt causing problems and struck the post shortly after the second goal.
But Brighton were never in danger – making Ajax chase them around for the final 15 minutes, a sight no fan would ever have expected to see.
The Seagulls finally looked worthy of the bright lights in Europe and played like they knew it.
Here is how the action unfolded…