Brighton & Hove Albion travel to the Czech Republic for their first-ever meeting with FK Jablonec in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday. The Seagulls enter the match on a remarkable run of six consecutive victories in all competitions, with their recent form reading five wins and no draws or losses.
They thrashed Crystal Palace 5-0 last Saturday, with Charalampos Kostoulas scoring his third goal of the season, making him the team's top scorer. The team's fixtures show a quick turnaround, with a trip to Liverpool scheduled for Sunday. Their next Premier League fixture is against Liverpool, who are fifth, on Sunday 25 October.
Team news and lineup insights
Brighton will be without several players through injury. Jack Hinshelwood, who returned to score against Palace, is averaging 3.33 goals per 90 minutes in the league. Kevin-Prince Milla is out with a broken leg, while Mats Wieffer, Stéfanos Tzímas, Evan Ferguson and Femi Azeez are also sidelined. Kaoru Mitoma is a doubt.
The team is expected to field a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bart Verbruggen in goal behind a back four of Ferdi Kadioglu, Luka Vuskovic, Lewis Dunk and Olivier Boscagli. Pascal Groß and José María Andrés Baixauli are likely to anchor the midfield.
Recent form and statistical edge
Jablonec have scored in nine consecutive home matches but have lost their last two outings, both by a 3-2 scoreline. They were beaten 3-2 by Viktoria Plzeň last weekend and lost by the same margin to SC Freiburg in their Conference League opener. Brighton, meanwhile, have scored an average of 3.67 goals per game during their winning run. They have conceded only five goals all season, giving them a goal difference of plus eighteen.
Brighton opened their European campaign with a 4-0 win over Kauno Zalgiris at the Amex. The club's standings show they are five points behind leaders Manchester City domestically. Their next assignment is at Anfield on 25 October.
