Fabian Hurzeler hails performance as Brighton grind out win at Getafe

Fabian Hurzeler saluted a professional performance from Brighton after they beat Getafe 1-0 in the Conference League.

Malick Yalcouye scored his fourth goal of the season to break the deadlock in a hard-fought encounter in Madrid.

The Seagulls are now the only team not to concede a goal in the competition so far and their seven points from three matches leaves them fifth in the table.

“It’s what we expected,” said Albion boss Hurzeler at his post-match press conference. “These games in the Conference League are different.

“You have to beat the low block. You have to understand what the opponents are looking for in the game, and therefore you have to always be patient in these games.

“I think we did it today. We didn’t play our best game, to be fair. We had a few moments where we didn’t do the simple things on the highest level.

“But in the end we kept a clean sheet – the fifth clean sheet in a row in this tournament – and then we scored the goal and I think we deserved to win this game.”

It was Brighton’s first competitive fixture in Spain and the LaLiga outfit had mischievously dubbed their Estadio Coliseum ground ‘Getamford Bridge’ for the occasion.

Yalcouye scored at the real Stamford Bridge earlier this season but while that match ended in a 4-3 defeat to Chelsea, this time he was able to savour Brighton’s second victory in Europe this term.

His goal came in the 64th minute after Pascal Gross lifted a diagonal ball towards the far post.

Overlapping full-back Costinha had acres of space on the right of the penalty area and cushioned his header back across goal.

Yalcouye’s timing was impeccable as he met the ball with a thumping header which flew in off the crossbar.

“It’s always important to find solutions, and I have to give a lot of praise to my team because in the end, the players deliver on the pitch,” added Hurzeler.

“I think it’s also a mindset thing. You played twice against Manchester City away then you go to Getafe.

“In Getafe you don’t know what you expect. You play an away game where you have a very loud and energetic atmosphere, and you have to be ready for that.

I think my players did it today, not on the highest level, but in these games you have to win it, and that’s what we did today.”