Brighton & Hove Albion did not do the hard part in Norway last Thursday. They had 24 attempts on goal, failed to score, and came away with a 0-0 draw that leaves the Conference League qualifying tie alive when it probably should already feel over. Yet this is still Brighton we are talking about: a side good enough to expect better, strong enough to believe they will get it right at the Amex, and recent enough in form to suggest the response should be emphatic.
The awkward truth is that Brighton made more work for themselves than they needed to. Their poor conversion rate last season was one of the worst in the Premier League, and this kind of afternoon does not exactly scream sudden transformation. Still, the numbers are what they are, the venue now changes, and Brighton's place in the Conference League group stage depends on them turning dominance into a result on Thursday.
That is the fine line here. One clean performance in Norway would have made this a procedural second leg. Instead, Brighton must prove they can be ruthless when it matters, not just busy. The good news is that the underlying picture remains encouraging. A 4-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday was hardly the work of a side crawling towards Europe, and it underlined that Brighton are carrying real momentum into the rematch.
Why Brighton should still be in control
The rematch at the Amex should favour Brighton heavily. They are at home, they are the stronger side, and they have already shown they can produce a commanding Premier League-level performance this week. Tromso, by contrast, leave the first leg with the only thing they could reasonably have asked for: a chance. That is the danger of a goalless draw. It flatters the team that was under pressure, and it leaves the bigger side with a performance to finish.
None of that means Brighton can stroll through it. Football has a nasty habit of punishing wastefulness, and a team that needs 24 attempts to draw blanks will always leave the door open for a nervous moment. But this is still a tie Brighton should expect to close out. If they cannot, the criticism will be obvious and deserved: not because they were outclassed, but because they failed to convert superiority into certainty.
There is also a wider European theme building around English and Scottish clubs this week. Rangers go to Jablonec in the Czech Republic with a lead to defend, but they are far from certain to qualify, which is exactly the sort of reminder that second legs can turn messy fast. Brighton, at least, have the cleaner position: no away goal deficit, home advantage, and no excuse for getting dragged into chaos.
So, can Brighton finish the job? Yes, they should. The draw in Norway was disappointing, but it was not disastrous. The real test now is whether this team can stop treating good positions like unfinished business. The Conference League stage is there for the taking. Brighton just need to make sure they actually take it.
