Malick Yalcouye scored the only goal in the 64th minute as Brighton & Hove Albion claimed a 1-0 win at Getafe in the UEFA Conference League, moving into the top eight of the table.
The Ivory Coast midfielder was one of five changes made by head coach Fabian Hurzeler from the 1-0 win at Manchester City last time out, and he rewarded that faith by breaking the deadlock. Costinha cushioned a header back across the face of goal, and Yalcouye headed home from close range.
Brighton had been under pressure before that moment. Jaouen Hadjam struck the woodwork twice earlier in the game. Substitute Ibrahim Osman later missed a chance to double the lead from close range, but the miss did not cost the visitors on the night. The win returns Brighton to winning ways in Europe after a frustrating 0-0 draw at Jablonec last time out.
The result lifts Brighton into fifth place in the standings with three league-phase games remaining. They remain unbeaten in their three fixtures so far.
Key moments from Estadio Coliseum
31′: Bart Verbruggen makes a big save to keep out Ivan Azon’s shot at the near post.
38′: Hadjam races through on goal and squeezes the ball under the legs of Soria, but it hits the post.
52′: Hadjam has time and space in the box but curls his shot onto the top of the crossbar.
64′: Yalcouye breaks the deadlock with a header into the back of the net.
79′: Ibrahim Osman skews his shot from close range wide of the target and misses a big chance to double the lead.
Hurzeler on a “lazy” but deserved win
Hurzeler spoke to TNT Sports after the match:
“It was what we expected. The games in the Conference League are different; you have to beat the low block and you have to be patient.
“We didn’t play our best game; we had moments where we were lazy. But we kept a clean sheet and scored a goal. We deserved to win this game.
“It is always important to find solutions. I have to give praise to my team.
“My players did it today, not at the highest level, but we had to win it.”