Brighton secured a comfortable 4-0 victory over Tromsø in the UEFA Conference League playoff round at the American Express Community Stadium on 27 August 2026. The hosts controlled proceedings from the outset, scoring four goals across the first half and extending their advantage late on. It marked a convincing response after their goalless draw with the same opposition just seven days earlier.
And here's the thing — the opening goal arrived in the twenty-second minute when Costoulas found the net. Brighton had paid for a sloppy opening, but by then the pattern was clear. De Cuyper doubled the lead in the thirty-third minute before Wieffer added a third just five minutes later. Thongla-Iad Warneryd received a yellow card in the forty-fourth minute as the visitors struggled to contain the pressure.
The half ended with five substitutions on each side, a tactical reshuffle that did little to alter the trajectory of the match. Brighton continued to dominate possession, moving the ball with purpose through the midfield. Gomez and De Cuyper came off in the sixty-sixth minute, followed by O'Riley and Hien in the eighty-first.
Boscagli added a fourth goal in the eighty-sixth minute, confirming what had been evident throughout. The visitors managed only two shots off target all evening, with their goalkeeper forced into four saves. Tromsø created no big chances and managed just five key passes compared to Brighton's fifteen.
The statistics tell the story of a one-sided encounter. Brighton held 78 per cent possession with 154 attacks against Tromsø's 34. They registered eight shots on target with an expected goals figure of 2.75, while the visitors managed zero shots on target and just 0.27 expected goals. Brighton completed 681 of 759 passes, a remarkable level of control.
This result moves Brighton into a strong position for the next round of the competition. The hosts have now won four of their five matches this season, including victories over Roma and Aston Villa. Tromsø's campaign appears to be drawing to a close after this comprehensive performance.
