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'It was spot on' - De Zerbi's perfect tactics as Brighton make history against Ajax
SussexWorld
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26/10/2023
Sam Morton at the Amex Stadium looks at Brighton's 2-0 Europa League win against Ajax
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00:00
Okay, we're joined by Sam Morton who's just leaving the Amex Stadium. Quite an occasion
00:05
there Sam, Brighton's first ever Europa League victory and it came against an Ajax team,
00:12
albeit a shadow of an Ajax team against you know some of their previous teams that they've had over
00:16
the years but a brilliant victory nonetheless for Brighton. Excellent, excellent victory for
00:22
Brighton really on a what was a really easy night for them really, they made it look easy anyway.
00:27
I think they never really looked threatened by an Ajax side that's obviously really struggling
00:31
for confidence on a terrible run of form and that really did continue this evening and Brighton
00:37
did make it look very easy and were ruthless and they got the two goals and killed the game. So
00:45
it was a great night for Brighton, a perfect night really and really great to see them get
00:49
a clean sheet finally this season as well. They just capped off a perfect night and it keeps them
00:55
in a really good position to qualify. Yeah, that was always going to be the key wasn't it,
01:00
getting their defensive structure right because they've certainly got the players in attack to
01:04
cause problems haven't they? So they must have got it just spot on tonight.
01:09
Yeah, perfect as I say, perfect performance, De Serby got things spot on, he really just tried to
01:16
play Ajax off the park really with the defenders solid and then Phil to keep things ticking over,
01:22
getting the ball to the attackers and especially Pedro and Matoma, they linked up so well in that
01:27
first half and it was obviously Pedro that got the goal after Matoma had a shot saved.
01:32
Yeah, exactly what Brighton needed, right on the stroke of half time, perfect time to score and it
01:38
kind of meant that Ajax then had to come on to Brighton to be able to get an equaliser and then
01:43
that helped Brighton kill the game in the second half as well. Yeah, the attack and fall looked
01:48
really good didn't they? Pedro and Matoma were very good but also I thought Idinga was very good
01:53
as well and Ansu Fati, he got the second goal, nicely taken second goal. Yeah, that was a great
02:00
goal, lovely move, Idinga cutting back to play it into Fati, it was a lovely pass and Fati,
02:07
he seems to have that confidence back and he's had a struggle to settle in. I think De Serby made the
02:12
point that he didn't play a lot of football last season but now he's really starting to settle in,
02:17
play more football and get used to De Serby's way of playing and you really saw that. I think it was
02:21
his best performance for Brighton today and it was such a lovely finish, not made the defender as it
02:26
went in, controlled it with one foot, finished it with the other. It was a fantastic goal and he
02:30
could have scored again moments later when he had a powerful shot that went just over. So, yeah,
02:36
a really good performance from Fati and really great to see and he had a standing ovation as he
02:40
has even substituted as well. So, the fans are really taken to him, that's great to see.
02:45
Yeah, he seems to have that bit of star quality about him, doesn't he? He seems to be showing
02:50
what all the hype was about really when he was so highly rated at Barcelona.
02:55
Absolutely, yeah. It was really exciting when he signed for the club and we're obviously waiting
03:01
for that real moment of quality from him and I think we've really seen that tonight. It's obviously
03:05
two goals in two games as well after his goal against Man City. So, he's doing it on the big
03:10
stage against the biggest teams and that's what they got him in for, a loanee from Barcelona and
03:16
he's really settling in well. Yeah, yeah, no, that's great to see. Where are you at the moment,
03:21
Sam? Are you at the Falmer station? Yeah, just on the way to Falmer station. Yeah,
03:26
lots of fans around me, all in fine voice. So, yeah, they're really great.
03:33
They seem in good voice and quite rightly so, but what was the atmosphere like in the stadium, Sam?
03:38
It looked pretty good. Yeah, great atmosphere. I think the goal really helped in the first half.
03:43
But yeah, a real kind of party atmosphere in the second half and really kind of easy.
03:49
It was really easy for them in the second half really. I think fans
03:55
kind of just were comfortable. There was no kind of nervousness, no time to be nervous really. It
04:01
was just all very easy for Brighton and they got the win they desperately needed. They could have
04:05
had a few nerves going into it, knowing that if they didn't get a win, it'd be real difficult to
04:11
get through to the knockout round. But that win has helped so much. Now they have a trip to Ajax
04:18
and if they can get a win there as well, then it's in their hands completely. Yeah, and what were the
04:23
Ajax fans like, Sam? They're going through a tough time at the moment, aren't they? They've had
04:27
protests at some of their home games as well. What sort of atmosphere was it like within the away
04:35
support? So the atmosphere was good for Ajax. It was lively. I think you really saw them in fine
04:42
voice. They were really trying to gear their team on, especially in that first half. But they did
04:49
go very quiet after the goals and I think Brighton did. The fans let them know that, saying, "We
04:53
forgot you were here." They were chanting at one point. So yeah, I think it's a shame for them
04:58
really. It must be horrible to watch the season they're having. It's a real, as I said in my play
05:04
rating, they're a bit of a sleeping giant at the moment, Ajax. You're not sure how they can get out
05:09
of it. I think there's obviously quality there, but there's a real lack of confidence in the team
05:14
at the moment. You really saw that. They barely posed any kind of threat, really. I think they
05:18
hit the post just after Fati's goal. But apart from that, there was a real lack of threat going
05:24
forward. I think they were quite compact. I think they did well to stop Brighton scoring more than
05:29
just two goals because on another day they could have had some more. I wouldn't say Brighton had
05:33
that many clear-cut chances. They were just ruthless when they had those chances and obviously
05:38
just dominated the midfield, dominated possession. So yeah, it was a real tough night from Ajax's
05:44
perspective. You can see why they're finding it really difficult at the moment. The lack of
05:51
confidence they've got. It's not really surprising. I saw they haven't won a game since the Europa
05:56
League qualifying game in August. So it's been a long, long time since they've had a win.
06:01
Long time, yeah. You think back to the great Ajax teams, always talented players,
06:06
skilful technical players. They just don't have that at the moment, do they? But
06:10
all good for Brighton, though. They've got plenty of those at the moment.
06:15
Now looking ahead, the group stage has opened it up a bit now, hasn't it? It really puts Brighton
06:22
in with a shout of qualifying from the group. Yeah, absolutely. It's in Brighton's hands now,
06:28
you would say. It's all very close. Marseille are obviously top with five points. Athens,
06:32
just below with four. Brighton on four, but below Athens on the head-to-head record. And Ajax are
06:37
obviously at the bottom with two points. So I think if they get a win at Amsterdam or even a draw
06:42
and they can see how the other game goes, it's looking good. It's looking good now. It's a
06:47
very tight group. I think it's well in Brighton's hands and they can pick up some points in the
06:53
remaining three games. It's our halfway point now. So yeah, I think a good return, I think.
07:00
Four points in three games. Yeah, looking really promising, isn't it?
07:04
And De Serby was in the press conference for a long while, wasn't he? Did you say the Ajax manager
07:08
was knocking on the door trying to get in and De Serby was continuing to talk? He had plenty to
07:14
say, didn't he, after the match? Yeah, plenty to say. So I was waiting from the outside, waiting
07:18
for the players as De Serby was speaking. But yeah, he was in there for quite a while. So I need
07:23
to listen back to what he was saying. So he must have been full of praise for his team, really,
07:29
with the way they performed. I think he must have been delighted. So I'm looking forward to hearing
07:34
back to what he thought of it, really. And he must be delighted with a clean sheet as well,
07:38
because that's something that Brighton have obviously struggled to get this season.
07:41
13th attempt, yeah.
07:43
That's great. That's great for Brighton as well.
07:47
Yeah, yeah. I saw some comments from it just saying how proud he was to deliver such a result
07:52
for the fans and also for the owner, Tony Bloom. It just really sort of highlights and underlines
07:58
just how far Brighton have come, doesn't it, when they're taking on and beating teams like Ajax?
08:04
Yeah, yeah. It's incredible, really, how far Brighton have come. It's hard to believe that
08:09
there were favourites going into the game against Ajax and that just speaks volumes, really,
08:12
about how far Brighton have come, the work that the owner, Tony Bloom, has done.
08:16
It's incredible. The fans are absolutely loving it and they're long may it continue.
08:21
Great stuff. Well, nice one, Sam. Great reporting, as always. All of your work is online
08:28
at the moment. The player ratings are up and there'll be some reaction coming later tonight.
08:34
And also, we'll be cutting through it a bit more and digesting it online
08:40
throughout the morning, tomorrow morning as well. So, take a look at classicsworld.com.
08:45
And thank you, Sam. You'll be in Ajax as well, won't you, when Brighton go over to
08:50
Amsterdam? Should be a great game. I will be. Yes, absolutely. Really looking forward to that one.
08:54
Nice one. All right. Well played, Sam. See you soon.
08:57
See you, Darren. Bye.
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