Brighton’s trip into the unknown was always going to be a steep learning curve.

But Roberto De Zerbi’s side recovered from the shock of conceding two goals in less than 90 seconds to Marseille’s Chancel Mbemba and Jordan Veretout to secure a vital point thanks to a magnificent fightback capped by the substitute João Pedro’s equaliser from the penalty spot two minutes from full time.

It was the Brazilian’s third successful penalty of the competition already after Pascal Gross had pulled one back and while Brighton remain bottom of their group in their debut Europa League campaign after losing their opening match against AEK Athens, they showed they belong at this level and kept their hopes of progressing to the group stages very much still alive.

Brighton’s chief executive Paul Barber, had described their first taste of European football on the continent as “another test” for the club that has come so far in a short space of time. There can be few as intimidating atmospheres as the Stade Vélodrome for a Marseille home game, even if the French club’s manager, Gennaro Gattuso, came into his first game here with his new side having failed to win in their last five matches.

Home supporters behind Jason Steele’s goal unfurled a giant tifo as the players emerged on to the pitch at the start with the words ‘Our hate, Our pride’ that underlined their complicated relationship with the current side after a poor start to the season. There are no such issues with Brighton these days of course, although heavy traffic meant that even the intervention of their owner and chairman, Tony Bloom, could not help some visiting fans avoid a mad dash to the stadium after the flight he was on was delayed and Bloom had arranged for coaches to collect them from the airport.

De Zerbi had stoked his personal rivalry with Gattuso before the match by admitting that this game “would be different” to a Serie C playoff he lost while managing Foggia in 2016. Once again, he opted to make wholesale changes as only five players who started the 6-1 annihilation at Aston Villa on Saturday retained their places.