A late penalty by Joao Pedro saw Brighton & Hove Albion come from behind to secure a thrilling 2-2 draw against Marseille at the Stade Velodrome in the Europa League.

The Seagulls were looking to rebound from a 6-1 loss to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.

Former Newcastle defender Chancel Mbemba swept in to give them a mountain to climb before Jordan Veretout capitalised on a mistake by Brighton captain Lewis Dunk to add a second moments later.

Soon after, Brighton thought they were awarded a penalty by the video assistant referee (VAR), with the referee appearing to point to the spot after consulting the pitchside monitor, but Marseille was awarded a free-kick for a foul.

The visitors overcame that setback to score early in the second half when Pascal Gross drove in from a Kaoru Mitoma cutback, before Pedro kept his cool to complete the impressive comeback.

After giving up two quick goals, a point appeared improbable for Brighton, who were far from their best in the first 45 minutes.

They struggled to play their usual free-flowing football and were making defensive errors, with Mbemba given far too much space for the opener before Dunk’s uncharacteristic lapse in concentration.

When VAR confusion led to Brighton not receiving a penalty they thought they had been awarded before the break, it appeared that their night was over.

However, Roberto de Zerbi’s side came out much improved for the second half, attacking with pace and directness that Marseille struggled to deal with.

When Tariq Lamptey was brought down inside the box after Gross’ goal, Pedro stepped up to score his third goal in Europe.

There are still defensive concerns for Brighton, who have conceded 20 goals in 10 games this season in all competitions, but they will rightly celebrate this historic point.

With Brighton trailing 2-0 at the break, De Zerbi could have been forgiven for fearing a repeat of the Villa game, but his team responded admirably.

“I’m really proud of the performance today, of the players,” he said.

“After the defeat 6-1 at Villa Park and the second goal to close the first half at 2-0, this reaction is incredible. For it I am very happy.

“It’s important playing with heart, passion and the right behaviour.”