Malick Yalcouye’s header secured Brighton & Hove Albion a 1-0 victory at Getafe on Thursday night. The win moves the Seagulls into the top eight of the UEFA Conference League with three league-phase matches remaining.
Fabian Hurzeler made five changes from the side that beat Manchester City last weekend. He brought Yalcouye into midfield alongside Jaouen Hadjam, Michael Svoboda, Jack Hinshelwood and Georginio Rutter.
Brighton started brightly. Hinshelwood forced an early save from David Soria with a 25-yard drive. Rutter then rolled his marker but skewed his shot wide. Hadjam hit the woodwork twice before the break, first seeing a finish clip the keeper and come back off a post. From the rebound, Yalcouye’s attempt was blocked on the line. At the other end, Bart Verbruggen made sharp saves to deny Ivan Azon twice.
The decisive moment arrived in the 64th minute. Pascal Gross lifted a diagonal ball towards the far post. Costinha, in space on the right, cushioned a header back across the six-yard box. Yalcouye met it with a powerful header that flew past Soria and in off the crossbar.
It was the Ivorian midfielder’s fourth goal of the season and maintained Brighton’s perfect defensive record in Europe. They are the only team yet to concede a goal in the Conference League this term. The victory gives them seven points from three matches, placing them fifth in the standings.
This result extends a strong period for Hurzeler’s side, who have now won four of their last five matches across all competitions. They sit third in the Premier League with 19 points from nine games, having recorded six wins, one draw, and two losses. Their recent form of two wins and two draws from their last five league games, including a 1-0 win at Manchester City on Saturday 31 October, has them just five points behind leaders Arsenal. The team now turns its focus to a home fixture against Brentford on Sunday, looking to continue their impressive domestic form which has seen them lose just once in the league so far. That match against sixth-placed Brentford on Sunday 8 November presents another key test. Brighton's overall season has been built on a potent attack, having scored 24 goals while conceding only seven for a plus-17 goal difference. The club's top scorer this season is C. Kostoulas with three goals in nine appearances.
The report in full is at Sky Sports Football
