Brighton boosted their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the Europa League with a comfortable win over a youthful Ajax side in Amsterdam.
Ansu Fati opened the scoring for the visitors with a low effort into the bottom-left corner after collecting Simon Adingra’s pass.
Fati then turned provider, as Ivory Coast winger Adringa doubled Brighton’s lead with a rising close-range effort.
Brian Brobbey’s volley, which hit both posts, was the closest Ajax came to scoring.
Roberto de Zerbi’s side move on to seven points and could clinch their place in next phase of the tournament if they win at AEK Athens in their penultimate in Group B fixture.
Four-time European champions Ajax, whose starting line-up had an average age of 21.6 years, are bottom of the group with just two points from four matches.
More to follow.
Player of the match
DunkLewis Dunk
Ajax
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Squad number40Player nameRamaj
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Squad number7Player nameBergwijn
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Squad number10Player nameAkpom
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Squad number3Player nameGaaei
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Squad number2Player nameRensch
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Squad number25Player nameSosa
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Squad number37Player nameSutalo
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Squad number23Player nameBerghuis
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Squad number9Player nameBrobbey
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Squad number4Player nameHato
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Squad number8Player nameTaylor
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Squad number33Player nameTahirovic
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Squad number38Player nameHlynsson
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Squad number24Player nameVos
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Squad number19Player nameMikautadze
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Squad number11Player nameCarlos Forbs
Brighton & Hove Albion
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Squad number5Player nameDunk
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Squad number31Player nameAnsu Fati
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Squad number11Player nameGilmour
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Squad number24Player nameAdingra
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Squad number29Player namevan Hecke
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Squad number22Player nameMitoma
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Squad number34Player nameVeltman
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Squad number13Player nameGroß
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Squad number9Player nameJoão Pedro
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Squad number3Player nameIgor Julio
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Squad number8Player nameDahoud
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Squad number1Player nameVerbruggen
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Squad number28Player nameFerguson
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Squad number20Player nameBaleba
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Squad number30Player nameEstupiñán
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Squad number6Player nameMilner
Line-ups
Ajax
Formation 4-3-3
- 40Ramaj
- 3GaaeiSubstituted forSosaat 57′minutes
- 2RenschSubstituted forMikautadzeat 78′minutes
- 37Sutalo
- 4Hato
- 24VosSubstituted forTahirovicat 73′minutes
- 38HlynssonSubstituted forForbs Borgesat 57′minutes
- 8TaylorSubstituted forAkpomat 45′minutes
- 23Berghuis
- 9Brobbey
- 7Bergwijn
Substitutes
- 10Akpom
- 11Forbs Borges
- 17Salah-Eddine
- 18Medic
- 19Mikautadze
- 22Pasveer
- 25Sosa
- 30Ávila
- 33Tahirovic
- 39Godts
- 42Martha
- 51Setford
Brighton
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Verbruggen
- 34Veltman
- 29van HeckeBooked at 69mins
- 5DunkSubstituted fordos Santos de Pauloat 45′minutes
- 6MilnerSubstituted forGilmourat 8′minutes
- 8DahoudSubstituted forEstupiñánat 65′minutesSubstituted forBalebaat 77′minutes
- 13Groß
- 24Adingra
- 31Ansu FatiSubstituted forFergusonat 65′minutes
- 22Mitoma
- 9João PedroBooked at 33mins
Substitutes
- 3dos Santos de Paulo
- 4Webster
- 11Gilmour
- 14Lallana
- 20Baleba
- 23Steele
- 28Ferguson
- 30Estupiñán
- 38McGill
- 40Buonanotte
- 41Hinshelwood
- 56Duffus
Live Text
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Match ends, Ajax 0, Brighton and Hove Albion 2.
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Second Half ends, Ajax 0, Brighton and Hove Albion 2.
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Attempt missed. Chuba Akpom (Ajax) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Steven Berghuis with a cross.
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Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Jan Paul van Hecke.
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Corner, Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Jorrel Hato.
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Offside, Ajax. Carlos Forbs tries a through ball, but Steven Berghuis is caught offside.
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Carlos Forbs (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton and Hove Albion).
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Foul by Steven Berghuis (Ajax).
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João Pedro (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Georges Mikautadze (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Carlos Baleba (Brighton and Hove Albion).
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Attempt saved. Chuba Akpom (Ajax) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Brian Brobbey.
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Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Igor Julio.
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Attempt blocked. Steven Berghuis (Ajax) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Carlos Forbs.
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Attempt missed. Carlos Forbs (Ajax) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left.
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Substitution, Ajax. Georges Mikautadze replaces Devyne Rensch.
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Corner, Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Devyne Rensch.
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Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Carlos Baleba replaces Pervis Estupiñán because of an injury.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.