Yalcouye Header Gives Brighton 1-0 Win at Getafe in Conference League

Brighton and Hove Albion won 1-0 at Getafe on Thursday night in the UEFA Conference League league phase. Malick Yalcouye scored the only goal after 64 minutes at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez, heading in off the underside of the crossbar. The win was Brighton second victory in Europe this term and their first competitive fixture in Spain.

Fabian Hurzeler made five changes to the side that beat Manchester City at the weekend. Yalcouye came into the starting line-up with Jaouen Hadjam, Michael Svoboda, Jack Hinshelwood and Georginio Rutter. Getafe had nicknamed their ground Getamford Bridge for the night. Only 570 Brighton fans could attend because the stadium is under renovation, and they were placed in a small corner of the north stand behind one goal.

The chances before the goal

Hinshelwood took the first shot of the match, a 25 yard drive that Getafe goalkeeper David Soria tipped wide. Rutter then rolled defender Sebastian Boselli and skewed his shot across goal and wide. Hadjam got in behind the home defence, lost his footing as he tried to cut back inside, and Rutter could not turn the loose ball in.

Getafe threatened from a corner on the half hour. Bart Verbruggen made a sharp reaction save from an Ivan Azon snap shot. Brighton should have scored soon after. A Rutter through ball sent Hadjam clean through. Hadjam reached the ball before Soria, but his finish clipped the goalkeeper and came back off a post, and Yalcouye attempt from the rebound was blocked on the line. Azon tested Verbruggen again in first half stoppage time and was denied again.

The goal

After the break, good build-up from Rutter and Hadjam set up substitute Luka Vuskovic, but his shot curled away from the target. The breakthrough came after 64 minutes. Pascal Gross lifted a diagonal ball toward the far post, a header came back across goal, and Yalcouye timed his run to meet it with a header that flew past Soria and in off the crossbar.

It was Yalcouye fourth goal of the season. He also scored at Stamford Bridge earlier this season, in a game Brighton lost 4-3 to Chelsea. This time his goal was a winner. Substitute Ibrahim Osman could have doubled the lead seconds after coming on, but he could not make contact with a low Diego Gomez cross, and Brighton closed the game out.

What it means

Brighton are the only team yet to concede a goal in the Conference League this season. Seven points from three matches leave them fifth in the league phase table, inside the automatic places at the end of their match, according to TNT Sports. Getafe sit 31st with one point from three matches, so the Spanish side have heavy work to do in their remaining games to reach the knockout rounds.

Key numbers

• Getafe 0-1 Brighton and Hove Albion at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez, full time
• Goal: Malick Yalcouye at 64 minutes, his fourth goal of the season
• Brighton record: 7 points from 3 games, fifth in the table, no goals conceded in the competition
• Getafe record: 1 point from 3 games, 31st in the table
• Brighton fans at the game: 570, with the stadium under renovation