Brighton beats Kauno Zalgiris 4–0 in Conference League opener

Brighton & Hove Albion defeated Kauno Zalgiris 4-0 on Thursday to open their Uefa Conference League campaign, extending the club's winning streak to five matches across all competitions.

Georginio Rutter opened the scoring late in the first half after a VAR review confirmed Ibrahim Osman kept the ball in play. Rutter then assisted Jack Hinshelwood for a second goal before halftime and added his own second of the match in the 53rd minute. Matt O'Riley completed the scoring with a header, his first goal in over a year.

"I'm very happy to have two goals today, but more importantly is the three points," Rutter said after the match. "We are a good team, everybody scores and everybody assists." Brighton has scored 29 goals this season Brighton has scored 29 goals this season, a tally surpassed only by Barcelona and Bayern Munich among Europe's major leagues. The club previously reached the league phase after defeating Tromso 4-0 in August.

While Brighton has limited European experience, having reached the last 16 of the 2023-24 Europa League, they are considered favorites in the Conference League. The club aims to become the third English winner of the trophy in as many years, following Chelsea and Crystal Palace.