Carlos Baleba’s thunderous 30-yard strike set Brighton on course for a nervy 3-2 win over Premier League rivals Wolves in the Carabao Cup third round.
Cameroon midfielder Baleba rifled home his maiden Seagulls goal in the 19th minute before Simon Adingra doubled the lead at the Amex Stadium with another eye-catching effort.
Wolves vastly improved after Goncalo Guedes’ 44th-minute strike changed the momentum but were made to pay for their profligacy as Ferdi Kadioglu’s late finish gave Albion breathing space.
Tommy Doyle reignited hope of forcing a penalty shootout by firing home via the underside of the crossbar in added time before the hosts held on to maintain their unbeaten start under head coach Fabian Hurzeler.
Brighton made eight changes following Saturday’s frustrating goalless draw with Ipswich, while only Joao Gomes retained his starting spot for Wanderers after Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Newcastle.
Baleba, one of the three Seagulls players to keep their place, stylishly opened the scoring in the 14th minute.
The 20-year-old dispossessed Gomes deep in opposition territory before bending into the bottom-left corner from range and celebrating the milestone strike with a cartwheel and a backflip.
Albion had the ball in the net again nine minutes later but Yankuba Minteh was offside when he turned home after Evan Ferguson’s initial effort struck Jose Sa and squirmed towards goal.
Wolves forward Guedes forced Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele to turn his powerful strike behind on the half-hour mark before the visitors fell further behind a minute later.
After being afforded time and space on the left wing, Adingra cut inside to rifle into the bottom right corner from the edge of the D.
Hurzeler’s hosts looked set to coast into the next round but Wolves injected fresh life into the contest a minute before the break.
Rodrigo Gomes released Matt Doherty on the left and his cutback was side-footed into the right corner by Guedes via a deflection off Adam Webster.
Having been in control for most of the opening period, Brighton were on the back foot following the restart.
Only the legs of Steele prevented Gomes equalising just seconds into the second period before Pablo Sarabia went close to turning home Guedes’ low cross in the 59th minute.
Albion continued to live dangerously and endured more anxious moments.
Jack Hinshelwood prevented team-mate Webster scoring an own goal by hacking off the line before Guedes wastefully fired wide of the left post.
Brighton remained shaky at the back but ultimately booked their place in round four five minutes from time.
Wolves keeper Sa could only parry Danny Welbeck’s initial effort and fellow substitute Kadioglu was on hand to covert his first Seagulls goal.
The simple finish looked to have killed the contest but there was still time for Doyle to increase the tension by smashing home after Brighton carelessly gave away possession inside their own 18-yard box.
[(SK Slovan Bratislava) Strength]: 1. Coming into the UEFA Europa League Play-off round, SK Slovan Bratislava hope to grab the advantage of advancing in this home game, with full motivation.2. SK Slovan Bratislava defeated MFK Skalica 1-0 at home in the last Slovak Super Liga game. They kept unbeaten in the first 3 league games with 2 wins and 1 draw.3. SK Slovan Bratislava scored in 6 of the last...
[(SC Preussen Munster) Strength]: 1. SC Preussen Munster will play at home in this match. The team must defend their home honor and their fighting spirit is beyond doubt.[(SC Preussen Munster) Weakness]: 1. SC Preussen Munster suffered a defeat in the midweek DFB-Pokal match, being eliminated 3-5 by Hertha BSC after a grueling battle that went all the way to penalties, which is a blow to their mor...
[(Real Betis) Strength]: 1. Real Betis failed to start with a win in the first La Liga game this season. They are eager to win and boost their morale.2. Real Betis' new signing midfielder Rodrigo Riquelme contributed an assist in the first league game, showing decent performances.3. Real Betis scored in each of the recent 6 games, boasting stable offense.4. Real Betis received 10 wins, 7 draws, an...
[(Palmeiras) Strength]: 1. In the first leg, Palmeiras secured a resounding 4-0 away victory over Universitario de Deportes, gaining a huge advantage in the race for advancing. Hosting this game at their home ground, Palmeiras will naturally go all out to avoid being reversed by the opponents, ensuring a smooth advance to the next round and continuing their charge towards the Copa Libertadores tro...
[(River Plate) Strength]: 1. The two teams drew 0-0 in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores Round of 16. Returning to their home ground for this game, River Plate are united in their determination to beat Club Libertad and advance to the quarter-finals, with a strong desire to win.2. Red-hot River Plate kept unbeaten in the last 7 games with 4 wins and 3 draws. They beat Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba...
[(NK Rijeka) Strength]: 1. NK Rijeka, powerhouses in Croatia, have a strong pursuit of honors. After dropping down from the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, the team are eager to prove themselves in the UEFA Europa League, aiming to enhance their stature in European football and bring glory to both the club and their supporters.[(NK Rijeka) Weakness]: 1. NK Rijeka defender Mile Skoric will miss t...
[(KFUM-Kameratene Oslo) Strength]: 1. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo have achieved 7 wins, 5 draws and 6 losses in the league so far this season, scoring 29 goals and conceding 20 in 18 league games, and currently rank 7th in the league standings. The team will play at home in this game with great desire to win.2. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo's major forward Johannes Nunez has performed steadily in the team's front...
[(Vaasan Palloseura) Strength]: 1. Vaasan Palloseura have been in poor recent form. In this home match, they are motivated to rebound.[(Vaasan Palloseura) Weakness]: 1. Vaasan Palloseura drew 0-0 with HJK Helsinki on the road in the last game. They are on a 1-game winless run.2. Vaasan Palloseura were winless in 7 consecutive home games, failing to show their home advantage.3. Vaasan Palloseura co...
[(West Ham United F.C.) Neutral]: 1. West Ham United F.C. recently expressed their desire to sign their upcoming opponents Chelsea's player Andrey Santos, but their offer was rejected. Chelsea informed West Ham that they have no intention of selling the player.2. West Ham United F.C. scored 46 goals in 38 league games last season, averaging over 1 goal per game. However, their offense is still con...
[(Aberdeen F.C.) Strength]: 1. If Aberdeen F.C. can advance to the UEFA Europa League group stage, it would mark a historic milestone for the club. This huge honor will undoubtedly greatly boost the team's fighting spirit.[(Aberdeen F.C.) Neutral]: 1. The two sides have never met before, and there are no relevant track record available for reference at present.[(Aberdeen F.C.) Weakness]: 1. Aberde...
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