Jack Hinshelwood scored the winner as Brighton completed a perfect pre-season campaign with a 1-0 victory over Bologna at the Amex Stadium.
Fabian Hurzeler's side followed last week's 3-0 win against AS Roma with another victory over Italian opposition, ensuring they head into Thursday's competitive fixture in Tromso having won every summer friendly.
Brighton created enough opportunities to win by a wider margin, particularly after increasing their intensity following the interval.
Jack Hinshelwood gives Brighton victory
Hurzeler made only one enforced change from the side that started against Roma, with Yankuba Minteh missing through injury.
Georginio Rutter tested Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski early before Mats Wieffer headed Maxim De Cuyper's corner towards goal.
The clearest opportunity of the first half fell to Hinshelwood after an excellent chipped pass from Olivier Boscagli, but his volley was kept out by Skorupski.
Brighton eventually found the breakthrough in the 58th minute.
Rutter produced a powerful run towards the byline before sending the ball across goal. Bologna's clearance reached Wieffer on the edge of the penalty area, whose goalbound effort was redirected into the net by Hinshelwood.
The midfielder later had an opportunity to double his tally but fired over.
Brighton finish pre-season with perfect record
Bart Verbruggen was rarely troubled, with his most notable intervention coming when he saved Nicolo Cambiaghi's volley early in the second half.
Hurzeler made several substitutions as the game progressed, but Brighton continued creating opportunities.
Summer arrival Babis Kostoulas came close to adding another goal late on, forcing a good save from Skorupski.
The 1-0 victory means Brighton finish their pre-season programme with a 100% winning record, providing a strong platform before competitive football begins.
Key Points
- Jack Hinshelwood scored Brighton's winner against Bologna.
- His decisive goal arrived in the 58th minute at the Amex Stadium.
- Brighton created several opportunities and could have won by a wider margin.
- Yankuba Minteh missed the match through injury.
- Fabian Hurzeler's side complete pre-season with a 100% winning record.
What's Next?
Brighton's attention now turns immediately towards competitive action, with Hurzeler's side travelling to Tromso on Thursday.
After winning every pre-season fixture, Albion will look to carry that momentum into their first serious test of the new campaign.
0 Comments
First read message
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *