Marseille 2-2 Brighton: Substitute Joao Pedro rescues a draw from the spot after Ligue 1 side score two goals in ninety seconds in the first half

• Joao Pedro cooly rolled home the equaliser from the spot in the 80th minute
• Marseile opened the scoring through former Newcastle man Chancel Mbemba
• Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off’

They did it the hard way but Brighton have their first Europa League point on the board after fighting back from two down in Marseille.

Joao Pedro came off the bench to the score the equaliser from the spot in the 88th minute, his third penalty in two games in the competition.

It was a soft one, awarded for an innocuous trip by Jonathan Clauss on Tariq Lamptey, but Roberto de Zerbi’s team deserved something for the way they responded to a dreadful first 20 minutes.

Briefly, the raucous din inside the Stade Velodrome fell disappeared and Lewis Dunk was hurt in the celebrations before Roberto de Zerbi’s team closed out the game.

Joao Pedro cooly finished his penalty to rescue a point for the Seagulls away from home

Jordan Veretout scored Marseille’s second goal but it was cancelled out by Joao Pedro

De Zerbi promised a reaction to the 6-1 defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday but his team were soon leaking more goals, the first swept in by centre-half Chancel Mbemba from a low cross by right back Clauss.

The second Marseille goal came just 89 seconds later when Brighton captain Dunk let the ball under his foot as he tried to control a routine long ball. Dunk’s mistake released Amine Harit and he picked out midfielder Jordan Veretout who scored.

It was an awful start by the Premier League club and it could have been worse. Jason Steele tipped over from Harit but steadily Brighton found their rhythm and created three excellent chances before half-time.

There was also a brief moment when they thought they had a penalty. Referee Mykola Balakin was advised to check replays on his pitchside screen for a possible handball by Marseille captain Valentin Rongier as he defended at a corner.

The ball struck Rongier on an arm as he tussled with Jan-Paul van Hecke but the Ukrainian referee decided Brighton’s Dutch defender had committed a foul.

Marseille keeper Pau Lopez produced two fine saves as his team came under pressure at the end of the first half, one flying to his left to keep out a header by Ansu Fati and another to close the angle and block from Danny Welbeck, who was played clean through by Joel Veltman. Solly March was also through on goal but dragged his effort wide.

The flourish offered encouragement and Pascal Gross pulled a goal back early in the second half, a cool finish after good work on the left by Tariq Lamptey and a pass by Kaoru Mitoma.

Dunk made a an excellent recovery block on Vitinha to prevent a third for Marseille and De Zerbi made changes in search of an equaliser.

Mitoma was denied by Lopez and Simon Adringra before Pedro levelled from the penalty spot.

Marseille manager Gennaro Gattuso will be frustrated with his side throwing a two goal lead

MATCH FACTS

Marseille (4-3-3): Lopez 7.5; Murillo 6, Balerdi 7, Mbemba 7, Clauss 7; Veretout 7.5 (Ounahi 51, 6), Rongier 7, Harit 7; Correa 6 (Sarr 62, 5), Aubameyang 5 (Vitinha 62, 5), Ndiaye 6.5 (Lodi 79)

Subs not used: Ngapandouetnbu, Blanco, Meite, Caprice, Nadir, Soglo, Tunkadi, 

Booked: Balerdi, Clauss, Sarr

Goals: Mbemba 19, Veretout 20

Manager: Gennaro Gattuso 6

Brighton (4-2-3-1) : Steele 6; Veltman 6, van Hecke 6, Dunk 5, Lamptey 5.5; Groß 8, Dahoud 6 (Gilmour 67, 7); March 5 (Adingra 77), Fati 5 (Pedro 67,7), Mitoma 7, Welbeck 6 (Ferguson 76, 6)

Subs not used: Verbruggen, McGill, Julio, Webster, Baleba, Buonanotte, Hinshelwood,  

Booked: Groß, Ferguson, Veltman

Goals: Groß 54, Pedro 88 (P)

Manager: Roberto De Zerbi 6

Referee: Mykola Balakin 6

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