Beating four-time European Champions: Brighton 2-0 Ajax photos
Here we are, a set of photos no right minded Seagulls fan ever thought they would see – Little Old Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 Four Times Champions of Europe Ajax.
Go back to 1995 and Ajax had just won their most recent Champions League. Brighton meanwhile were in the third tier of English football.
More problematic was that The Argus were about to break the news that Bill Archer, Greg Stanley and David Bellotti had sold the Goldstone Ground.
Not only that, but they also removed a non-profit clause in the club’s articles of association, allowing themselves to pocket all the money if the Albion went out of business.
Brighton and Ajax could not have been further apart. And yet here we were, 28 years later meeting on equal terms. What a journey.
The Albion were yet to win a European game before Ajax arrived at the Amex, so this represented another milestone in the fairy tale adventure.
Joao Pedro put Brighton 1-0 ahead three minutes before half time with a poacher’s finish after visiting goalkeeper Diant Ramaj found a Kaoru Mitoma shot too hot to handle.
Ansu Fati went onto double the advantage early in the second half with a neat finish. It was Fati’s second goal in as many matches, having also notched in the 2-1 defeat to Manchester Cityk at the weekend.
Victory breathed new life into what had been a stuttering Europa League campaign so far. If Brighton can follow up with three points away against Ajax in their next match, they will have a decent chance of at least finishing third in Group B to continue their European adventure beyond Christmas in the Europa Conference.
A top two finish meanwhile would mean continued participation in the Europa League. It is very much all to play for. See you in Amsterdam.
If you have any photos you would like included in our Brighton 2-0 Ajax gallery, please e-mail them to wearebrighton@hotmail.co.uk or tweet them to us @wearebrighton
