Brighton held by Tromso in Conference League playoff first leg

Brighton & Hove Albion were held to a 0-0 draw by Tromsø in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League playoff on Thursday, August 20, 2026. The goalless stalemate was played in front of a crowd of 6,015 at the Romssa Arena, located approximately 300 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle in Norway.

The Premier League side controlled much of the contest, finishing with 25 shots, including six on target, but could not find a breakthrough. Tromsø goalkeeper Jakob Haugaard produced several key saves to deny Brighton. Haugaard stopped first-half efforts from winger Ibrahim Osman and midfielder Georginio Rutter, while he also parried a second-half strike from Yasin Ayari. Tromsø’s defense held firm throughout.

The hosts, who dropped down from the Europa League qualifiers and currently sit third in the Norwegian Eliteserien, threatened on the counterattack. Midfielder Heine Asen Larsen beat the offside trap early in the second half but was denied by a smart save from Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. In the final minutes, defender Isak Vadebu again beat the defensive line but shot wide of the target.

Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler handed a debut to defender Luka Vušković, who...