Roberto De Zerbi, Ansu Fati, Joao Pedro react to Brighton & Hove Albion's first-ever European win
The Seagulls were under pressure to claim a positive result after failing to win their opening two Group B games against AEK Athens and Marseille.
However, goals either side of half time from Joao Pedro and Ansu Fati helped Brighton clinch a landmark 2-0 triumph in front of their own supporters against an out-of-sorts and managerless Ajax outfit to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout rounds alive.
Pedro scored his fourth goal in the Europa League on the stroke of half time, pouncing on a loose ball to tap home from close range after Kaoru Mitoma's strike was parried by Ajax goalkeeper Diant Ramaj.
Barcelona loanee Fati then doubled Brighton's advantage seven minutes after the interval when he ran onto a superb through-ball from Simon Adingra before rolling a right-footed finish into the far corner.
De Zerbi's side have moved up to third in Group B at the halfway stage, level on points with AEK Athens in second and only one point behind Marseille at the summit.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, De Zerbi said: «We played a great game, we played very well, we deserved to win, maybe with more goals but the most important news is that we didn't concede a goal.
»We kept a clean sheet (Brighton's first of the season in any competition), it is important but now on Sunday we have another big game and we have to be ready.
«We didn't expect the tactical disposition of Ajax, they defended with two strikers and we had time to understand the space. In the second half, we understood the space better.
»We scored the first
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