Brighton secured their first-ever point in European football courtesy of a late penalty from João Pedro to complete a memorable second-half comeback against Marseille.

Following an explosive double salvo from the French side just 20 minutes into the game, with Chancel Mbemba and Jordan Veretout putting them 2-0 up, the Seagulls were forced to dig deep for a result at the Stade Vélodrome.

They did just that as Pascal Gross and Pedro scored the goals to rescue Roberto De Zerbi’s team,  who still sit fourth in Group B but are well in touch with all their rivals.

The tie was packed full of controversy and talking points, including the following big lesson for Brighton.

  • Everything’s harder in Europe

If Brighton fans were still under any illusions about how tough European football will be this season, then a chastening first half in France’s second city rammed home the point even further.

There were thoughts that Marseille’s playing style, being more expansive than AEK Athens’, could suit Brighton a little better but the challenge became clear in the early stages.

Jason Steele was required to turn away efforts from Amine Harit and Jonathan Clauss before Brighton even got going, and it was just a case of Marseille turning their control into goals when the two quickfire efforts followed.

The nine-time French champions were assertive when they secured their lead and could have gone 3-0 up when Harit’s fearsome shot was palmed away by Steele in the 35th minute.

This all came as quite the assault following a bruising 6-1 defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday, making the nature of Brighton’s eventual comeback all the more impressive.

They will require much more of that resolve to manage on multiple fronts going forward, but De Zerbi is the ideal candidate to provide the energy at the helm of it all, guiding through the toughest possible October.

  • Marseille remain agents of chaos

Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe s**t.

The iconic words of new Phocéens boss Gennaro Gattuso, and an apt description of Marseille’s form in all competitions this season.

After Marcelino, who was only appointed in June, departed from his managerial role seven matches into the season there must have been concerns about the club’s fortunes in the months ahead.

He had been in charge for some incredible results this season, with their exit from Champions League qualification at the hands of Panathinaikos being a crisis point for the club and draws at Metz and Nantes, who both had ten men, causing criticism too.

The final straw was a dominant but low-key stalemate against Toulouse, and with a 3-3 against Ajax, a 4-0 defeat against Paris St-Germain and a 3-2 loss to Monaco following, defence has been underlined as Gattuso’s priority.

While their early dominance signalled an improvement against Brighton, the final result did not.

It will take time for things to improve for a side that has largely been assembled in the past 18 months, and it will be a test for a manager who has yet to spend more than two years in any role, but there will always be entertainment.

  • Depth will prevail for Brighton

As injuries begin to creep in for Roberto De Zerbi, now comes the time when his recruitment – headed up by transfer gurus David Weir and Sam Jewell – will be tested.

On a balmy night in Marseille, with James Milner, Adam Lallana and Pervis Estupiñán joining Julio Enciso and Jakub Moder as absentees, Brighton’s second-string shone.

Mahmoud Dahoud managed to be everywhere and involved in everything, while Tariq Lamptey again impressed at left-back, a role he has clearly been studying hard while Estupiñán has been the man in possession.

Even more importantly, De Zerbi was able to call upon a strong bench when the game needed a final injection of energy, with Simon Adingra and Evan Ferguson the ideal candidates to change the point of attack.

Ultimately, Brighton did just enough to secure a point from the game.

It was not the win they desired, nor the best performance that has been witnessed in De Zerbi’s reign, but as the Italian said in his post-match comments, the comeback made an important statement.

"We are used to playing better. We have to play better,” said De Zerbi.

“But sometimes you can have a tougher period where it is difficult to play like we did one month ago, for example – or last season. But you have to fight anyway, and you have to get a result, and today we deserved the result.

“I am really proud because we showed incredible character, incredible passion, incredible attitude, and to play football you need to play better. But you need to play with this character, this attitude."

  • Gattuso will not rip up the rulebook

While Gattuso will be an unorthodox appointment at any big European club given his renowned temper and chequered employment history, Marseille is one of the most suitable homes for his talent.

In previous incumbents such as Jorge Sampaoli, Rudi Garcia and Marcelo Bielsa, there is a precedent of firebrands in the Provence.

While we knew Gattuso would exhibit the passion that the football-mad community demands, then, what was interesting to find in this meeting was that he would not deviate from his predecessors’ moves too much.

Of his starting XI, only two players had not been regulars this season; defenders Leonardo Balerdi and Michael Murillo.

This consistency is key for a side that could very easily be disrupted by such flux amongst the backroom staff so early into the season, and it showed Gattuso would not be lured in by big names either.

International stars Renan Lodi and Azzedine Ounahi were on the bench, as were record signing Vitinha and summer recruit Ismaïla Sarr, with the performances of those in front of them justifying these selections.

Gattuso showed he will not bend to the will of outsiders with his calls, which offers reasons for optimism.

It is for those in his squad to repay his faith now, and with some huge games ahead they could make some huge statements.