Brighton are determined to finish top of Europa League Group B in order to give themselves a better chance of going deep in the competition, according to coach Roberto De Zerbi.
The Seagulls host Marseille at the Amex tomorrow night knowing a win will see them clinch the pool and qualify automatically for the last 16, avoiding a play-off against a third-placed finisher in the Champions League.
Read our other football news stories
Destiny Udogie signs new deal at Tottenham
Reece James out for two months with latest hamstring injury
Turkish Super Lig to restart next Tuesday
It’s a big incentive for Brighton and De Zerbi is eager to seize the opportunity.
He said: “It’s a prestigious thing to finish at the top of the table for the history of our club and because we will play two games less in February.
“We want to try to win because we are serious people and when we work we always want to show our best.
“We are playing better now than at the beginning of the Europa League. We lost a lot players but we are playing better, are stronger. In that moment we lost against AEK Athens at home and in a very bad way at Villa Park. We are improving in mentality.”
Brighton will come up against a Marseille side who have now spent more time under the tutelage of Gennaro Gattuso and De Zerbi is expecting a difficult game.
“Marseille under Gattuso are changing,” he added. “They are playing in a tactically different way. (Pierre-Emerick) Aubameyang is scoring a lot of goals and I think both teams are better now than at the first game in Marseille [a 2-2 draw in October].”