Brighton – Tromsoe

Brighton will be able to secure a confident victory.

Brighton broke into the English top flight nine seasons ago, but in recent years has become one of the most successful Premier League clubs. In the early seasons in England the team fought for survival and subsequently established itself as an ambitious mid-table side, year after year contending for European competition spots in the league table. In the 2023/2024 season, sixth place in the league allowed Brighton to compete in the Europa League and reach the Round of 16 in the second-most prestigious continental tournament. Back then the Europa League knockout rounds were somewhat different. After the group stage, in the knockout rounds, Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool, Roma, Milan and other top clubs took part. As a result of last season's Premier League, Brighton finished eighth, earning the last berth to European competition. Surely, following the established tradition, bookmakers will name the English club the favourite for the Europa Conference League. The last two editions were won by Chelsea and Crystal Palace, representing not only the English championship but also one city. However, for great achievements Brighton needs to start small — to go through the Tromsø qualifying playoff. And here the English side has already faced some difficulties. The first match in Norway was not triumphant for them, though on the opponent's pitch Fabian Hurzeler's side had a noticeable advantage. It manifested in 25 shots at the Norwegian goal, none of which found the net — 0:0. At the same time, Tromsø cannot be called a strong opponent for Brighton. The Norwegians have qualified for European competition for the second time in more than ten years. Both times the team achieved this by finishing third in the national championship. The previous European attempt ended for Tromsø with elimination in the Europa League qualifying round. Indeed, it was in this tournament that the club began its campaign in the current season as well, but it immediately ran into the barrier posed by Hradec Králové, losing to this opponent both at home and away. Having dropped to the Europa Conference League, Tromsø beat CFR Cluj twice, but the current level of the Romanian club is far from European. Brighton is seen as a clear favorite for the return leg and will secure a confident victory.