Brighton celebrate scoring a goalImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Malick Yalcouye has scored four goals for Brighton this season

ByMichael Emons
BBC Sport journalist

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler said he hoped he "could fulfil the fans' dreams" of lifting a trophy as the Seagulls won at Getafe to maintain their unbeaten record in this season's Conference League.

The Seagulls, third in the Premier League, scored the only goal in Spain when Costinha's knockdown was headed home by Malick Yalcouye off the underside of the crossbar in the 64th minute.

Three of the five Conference League winners have come from England - West Ham in 2023, Chelsea in 2025 and Crystal Palace last season - with Brighton favourites to lift the trophy in 2026-27.

They have now won two and drawn one of their three matches in the main phase of the competition and, at the halfway point, are fifth in the table, on course to progress into the last 16.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Hurzeler said: "These games in the Conference League are different. You have to beat a low block. You have to understand what the opponents are looking for in the game. Therefore, you have to always be patient - and we did it.

"We didn't play our best game. We had a few moments where we were quite lazy with the easy things. We didn't do the simple things on the highest level but we kept a clean sheet, third clean sheet in a row in this tournament, scored a goal and deserved to win."

Brighton are playing continental football for only the second season and when asked about supporters getting excited about winning the competition, Hurzeler said: "They should dream, that's what I always say. We focus on work, the things we can control. They should dream and hopefully at one point we can fulfil their dream."

Brighton had twice hit the woodwork when it was goalless with Jaouen Hadjam shooting against the post in the first half and curling an effort that bounced off the top of the bar early in the second.

Getafe finished seventh in La Liga last season, but are only 13th domestically this time around, with their total of eight league goals the joint lowest in the division.

Their best chances fell to Ivan Azon, who helped Ipswich Town win promotion to the Premier League last season while on loan from Como, but he was twice denied by goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.

Brighton did well to blunt the hosts' attacks and did not look like conceding an equaliser as they recorded their 11th clean sheet of the season from 16 matches.

This was the last of five consecutive away games for Brighton who return to Amex Stadium on Sunday when they host Brentford in the Premier League.

The Seagulls' next European action comes on 26 November when they welcome Romanian club Universitatea Craiova to East Sussex.

Figure caption,

Brighton fan buzzing but has Pascal Gross concerns

Player of the match

Number: 35 M. Yalcouyé
Average rating 8.44
Number: 15 S. Boselli
Average Rating: 5.30
Number: 13 David Soria
Average Rating: 5.10
Number: 2 D. Dakonam
Average Rating: 5.00
Number: 10 M. Satriano
Average Rating: 4.89
Number: 17 Kiko Femenía
Average Rating: 4.80
Number: 22 J. Mojica
Average Rating: 4.78
Number: 20 Iván Azón
Average Rating: 4.67
Number: 23 O. Mangala
Average Rating: 4.56
Number: 8 N. Gudelj
Average Rating: 4.56
Number: 11 Ramón Terrats
Average Rating: 4.44
Number: 21 Andrés García
Average Rating: 4.44
Number: 19 E. Ünal
Average Rating: 3.50
Number: 6 Mario Martín
Average Rating: 3.25
Number: 16 Francho Serrano
Average Rating: 3.13
Number: 9 Borja Mayoral
Average Rating: 3.00

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.