Brighton 2-0 Ajax: A giant-killing in the history books, but not the form book

It’s unusual to witness so many regular matchgoers queuing up to buy a half-and-half scarf. But that summarised the significance of a meeting with Ajax in the history of Brighton & Hove Albion. This was a night for souvenirs.

A 2-0 Brighton win was entirely routine according to Ajax’s form book, but a proper giant-killing according to the history books.

A result that feels normal in 2023-24 would have felt absurd in 1994-95, when Ajax won the Champions League and Brighton were dumped out of the FA Cup by non-league Kingstonian. It would have felt fanciful in 2009-10, when Ajax’s top goalscorer was Luis Suarez and Brighton’s was Nicky Forster. It would have seemed ambitious even in 2018-19, when Ajax were seconds away from the Champions League final and Brighton were scrapping their way to 17th in the Premier League under Chris Hughton.

“I didn’t realise just how big they were until I left,” said ex-Ajax defender Joel Veltman, now at Brighton. “When I came to England, people were like ‘Wow, you played for Ajax. They’re such a big club!’”

But here we are: October 2023, and Brighton have beaten Ajax 2-0.

Of course, this is a historically good Brighton side, having recorded their best-ever finishes of ninth in 2021-22 and then sixth last time out. It’s also a historically bad Ajax side. This season, both sporting director Sven Mislintat and coach Maurice Steijn have already been dismissed. The underlying numbers suggest Ajax, second-bottom of the Eredivisie, are in a false position — they should be rock bottom. In all competitions, this is now nine games without a win, their longest since the introduction of professional football in the Netherlands back in 1954.

Amid the chaos, this game was also a reflection of the power balance in European football. Ajax, once amongst the continent’s elite, only compete at the top table once in a while, and the Europa League is often their level. Brighton, a historically small club in European terms, reap the rewards of the Premier League’s enormous television revenue.

The most surprising thing, to a time traveller from any other era in football history, is that Brighton didn’t defeat Ajax by hitting them with old-school British football, physicality and long balls. They did so by outplaying the alleged total footballers. Brighton dominated possession. They had a Dutch centre-back, Jan Paul van Hecke, who could intercept the ball, play a pass and sprint forward into attack. As if trying to remind Ajax of what they’re supposed to be, Pascal Gross drew a roar of appreciation for a Cruyff turn.

Yet, Roberto De Zerbi’s side was actually far from their best: ponderous for long periods, and unable to progress the ball through midfield. Their two brightest players, Kaoru Mitoma and Joao Pedro, both looked dangerous as individuals rather than when linking with team-mates. They were both involved in the opener, but it was via Ajax goalkeeper Diant Ramaj’s spill rather than a piece of combination play.

The second goal was much slicker, when Simon Adingra chopped inside and played the ball in behind for loanee Ansu Fati’s smart finish. Again, you’d traditionally expect it to be Ajax — Barcelona’s ideological bedfellows — trusted to help develop Barca’s promising youngsters. But the tables have turned.

Brighton are the model of a well-run football club, and there’s nothing to suggest they won’t be in the Premier League for years to come.

But you never know. In the Premier League era, Norwich City have beaten Bayern Munich, and Ipswich Town have beaten Inter Milan. Bolton Wanderer have drawn with Bayern, Portsmouth with AC Milan, and Swansea with Napoli. None of those clubs are currently in the top flight; all of them aside from Swansea have been relegated to the third tier since.

The same surely won’t happen to Brighton anytime soon. But, just in case, those half-and-half scarves will forever remind supporters of the night when Brighton defeated a genuine European giant.

GO DEEPER

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(Photo: David Horton – CameraSport via Getty Images)