Brighton held by FK Jablonec after 26 efforts

Brighton Brighton came away from FK Jablonec with a 0-0 draw in the UEFA Europa Conference League, and their six-game winning run ended with it. Bart Verbruggen was Brighton's standout performer on a night when the visitors had 26 efforts at goal but failed to score for the first time in 10 games.

Hurzeler's changes in his 100th match

Fabian Hürzeler made eight changes for the trip, and it was his 100th match in charge. Only Verbruggen, Olivier Boscagli and Pascal Groß kept their places from the previous win, which tells you Brighton were never likely to look exactly like their strongest league side.

That rotation still left them with the ball for long stretches. Brighton had 73 per cent possession at Stadion Strelnice in Jablonec nad Nisou, but Sky Sports reported that they struggled to create clear-cut openings and finished second best late on.

Verbruggen and the wasted control

Verbruggen's 7.9 rating fits the shape of the match. He kept Brighton alive with a fingertip save from Jiri Slama's drive after Antonin Rusek had nearly capitalised on a mistake by Joao Costinha, while the attack around him could not turn control into a goal.

Brighton's 26 efforts look heavy on volume, not precision, and the blank was all the more noticeable because it stopped a run that had carried them through six straight wins. The result at FK Jablonec vs Brighton was a reminder that possession and shot count do not always travel with finishing quality.