Brighton and West Ham qualify for Europa League last 16 after big wins | OneFootball

Highlights

West Ham United booked their spot in the last 16 of the Europa League with a 2-0 win over Freiburg, while Brighton & Hove Albion, too, enjoyed a 1-0 win over Marseille. With two victories from two, the Premier League duo clinched progression into the knockout stages of the tournament.

David Moyes’ side were looking to right their wrongs after being condemned to a 5-0 loss to high-flying Fulham on the weekend. Ahead of their fixture with Freiburg, they sat at the top of Group A courtesy of their superior head-to-head record but have ridden their luck recently in Europe after back-to-back second-half winners against TSC Backa Topola and Olympiacos.

With fellow Group B occupants Ajax and AEK Athens unable to catch them, Brighton welcomed Marseille to the AMEX Stadium in a bid to top the group by leapfrogging their French counterparts and, in turn, booking their spot in the latter stages of Europe’s second-tier competition. Roberto De Zerbi and his men knew before going into Thursday’s affair that anything other than three points would put their European status in jeopardy.

West Ham United triumph in east London

A comfortable 2-0 win sees them top the group

The Hammers capped off an impressive Europa League group stage campaign with a 2-0 victory over Bundesliga side Freiburg, with the likes of Kurt Zouma and Alphonse Areola sat on the bench. Taking the lead within 14 minutes, summer signing Edson Alvarez scooped a deft ball over the top of the hapless Freiburg defence, one which Mohamed Kudus gleefully latched onto before chesting it down and dinking it over Noah Atubolu.

Midfielder Alvarez then got in on the goalscoring action three minutes shy of the half-time whistle. After playing a one-two with Jarrod Bowen on the edge of the box, his defence-splitting run allowed him to slot the ball home in the bottom corner. Recently coined the 'unsung hero' of Moyes' outfit, the Mexico international has settled expertly into their new-look engine room and has shown his ability to step up when it matters most in a must-win Europa League fixture.

To freshen things up, Moyes made a trio of changes in the second half, with the visitors largely chasing the game. Danny Ings, Divin Mubama and Pablo Fornals were all introduced to the field of play but, with the game practically dead and buried, were brought on to hold onto the two-goal lead.

Joao Pedro's late winner fires Brighton into last 16

The Seagulls leapfrog their opponents in Group B

Despite controlling the tempo for the majority of the affair, De Zerbi’s men largely lacked that killer instinct but were rewarded for their hard work and tenacity in the final moments of the game. Their lacklustre nature in front of goal gave them an uphill battle in the second half, but the Seagulls managed to pull through with a fantastic Joao Pedro finish, overtaking their opponents in the process.

The momentum began to swing in favour of the French side after emerging from the tunnel for the second half, however, with a clear-cut chance coming for them in the 60th minute as they struck the woodwork after a clever bit of play ended at the feet of Amine Harit, who had beaten Jason Steele. Nine minutes later, Marseille ace Jonathan Clauss, who had persistently caused problems on the right-hand side, played a neat one-two with Jordan Veretout before dragging it wide and missing the target completely.

Evan Ferguson replaced Simon Adringa in the 64th minute with the hopes that the young talisman could offer another layer of possibility with his large stature and potency in the final third, before James Milner and Adam Lallana were introduced because of their wealth of experience on the European stage. It paid off, too, as Brighton began to pile on the pressure, leading to Joao Pedro's last-gasp winner.

Lallana laid the ball into the path of Pascal Gross, who then fired the ball into the feet of the Brazilian marksman. Shifting it onto his favoured right boot, Pedro, the English club's record signing, unleashed a mesmerising shot into the top corner. Marseille shot stopper Pau Lopez was left rooted to the spot, unable to muster an attempt to thwart the forward's effort.

A sigh of jubilation and relief was let off around Brighton's stomping ground as both De Zerbi, touted as a potential Erik ten Hag replacement, and Pedro were spotted celebrating with the home support. With a win under their belt against Marseille, the Seagulls now top their group and join both West Ham and Liverpool in the final 16.