Brighton’s first game in European football was a night to forget but tonight’s trip to Marseille promises to be a truly memorable occasion.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side were undone at set-pieces and on the counter-attack by AEK Athens, revealing a soft defensive underbelly that has been a worrying theme since the start of the season.
Brighton are still one of the Premier League’s most productive attacking forces, which is what makes this fixture one of the most attractive of the Europa League group stage.
De Zerbi is having to manage his squad through the rigours of playing Thursday-Sunday, and added his voice to growing concerns about the workload placed on players.
“I don’t like before the game to change so many players,” he said. “If you play with the same eight or 11, you can play better. But I have to do it.
“Lewis played in the national team, then after three days played another big game at Old Trafford and then we lost him for a very important game (AEK Athens).
“I don’t want to put my focus on Premier League or Europa League, we have to compete every game in every competition. But we have many difficult situations. Solly March last season finished in a bad way with injury. This season, I have to manage him.”
Marseille drew at Ajax in their first group match courtesy of two goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and the former Arsenal striker scored three goals against Brighton during his time as a Premier League player. Former Aston Villa player Jordan Veretout is a regular for Gennaro Gattuso’s team, while Moroccan midfielder Azzedine Ounahi caught the eye at the World Cup and has been linked with a host of English clubs. This game’s Expected Hand Gesture metric could be through the roof with Gattuso and De Zerbi on the touchline.