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As they attempt to ensure another comfortable season of survival, Stade Brest kick off their campaign against yet another revolution going down in the south of France with Olympique de Marseille.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday 17th August, 2024 - UK – 4:00pm / US ET – 11:00am / US PT – 8:00am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – TBC / US – TBC
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – TBC / US – TBC
BREST PREVIEW: STEADY STABILISATION OF BREST
Stade Brest finished last season in third place and managed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League in fairly spectacular fashion on the final day of the season, despite having one of the smallest budgets in the whole of the French top-flight. It will be a serious test for them to repeat their heroics this time around but things remain in place.
For example, former Sunderland player Eri Roy, who led them to their historic feat, remains in charge of the club and few players have actually left. They have lost some key players, though, such as Martin Satriano, Kamory Doumbia, Jordan Amavi at the end of their loan deals and Steve Mounie on a free transfer.
MARSEILLE PREVIEW: ANOTHER SUMMER OF BIG SPENDING
Olympique de Marseille tend to start every season with what appears to be a revolution and a new era and they are doing so, once again. This time around they will be led into 2024/25 season under the management of Shakhtar Donetsk and Brighton and Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi.
The Olympians have also been busy in the summer transfer window with over £80 million spent this summer on the likes of Mason Greenwood and Elye Wahi in attack. They have also brought in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Valentin Carboni and Derek Cornelius with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Joaquin Correa, Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr departing the club.
BREST TEAM NEWS: FULLY FIT AND AVAILABLE
Eric Roy played quite a resolute and defensive style of football throughout their successful 2024/25 campaign and it will be interesting to see how they will go about it this time around.
The likelihood and expectation is that Roy remains tied to the back four that served him so well last season but there will need to be a replacement found for Mounie up-front.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Bizot; Lala, Chardonnet, Le Cardinal, Locko; Magnetti, Lees-Melou; Del Castillo, Pereira Lage, Le Douaron; Ajorque
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE:
MARSEILLE TEAM NEWS: ALMOST FULL STRENGTH
Marseille will be looking to play the intense and outright attacking style of football that Roberto De Zerbi has implemented everywhere he has gone and none more so than at Brighton.
He was quite tactically flexible in terms of which systems he used whilst at the AMEX Stadium so it will be interesting to see how he can fit both Greenwood and Wahi into the side.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Rulli; Michael Murillo, Mbemba, Balerdi, Ulisses Garcia; Hojbjerg, Rongier; Greenwood, Ounahi, Harit; Wahi
UNAVAILABLE: Ruben Blanco (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
BREST VS MARSEILLE PREDICTION
Stade Brest, as mentioned, played a generally defensive and reactive style of football for much of the 2023/24 campaign but they did get a little bit nervous in the spring and that led to some absolute thrillers. Marseille face Brest with a new manager that will only accept entertainment and fairly risky play as a bare minimum. As a result, both teams scoring and a fun game for the neutral appears quite likely for this one.
BREST VS MARSEILLE TIP: OVER 2.5 GOALS