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After a magnificent and shocking campaign last year in which Stade Brest finished third and qualified for the UEFA Champions League, they are trying to balance domestic and European competition as they now take on Stade Rennais this weekend.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday 19th October, 2024 - UK – 4:00pm / US ET – 11:00am / US PT – 8:00am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Not televised / US – beIN Sports
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Ligue 1 pas / US – beIN Sports
BREST PREVIEW: BRILLIANT BREST
Former Sunderland player Eric Roy produced something miraculous in leading Brest to third place in the UEFA Champions League last season and the expectation was always going to be that they would drift down the table but their focus on the European season is a completely reasonable priority.
The home team have started with back-to-back wins on the continent against Sturm Graz and Red Bull Salzburg. In Ligue 1, Brest have managed three victories with four defeats as they hover in the bottom-half of the table but they did most recently earn a comfortable 2-0 defeat of Le Havre a couple of weeks ago.
RENNES PREVIEW: INCONSISTENT RENNES
Julian Stephan returned to take charge of Stade Rennais during last season’s November international break and his ambitious Rennes side have spent relatively heavily on a proactive and attacking style of football but they have been far too inconsistent and they have started the 2024/25 Ligue 1 season with just two victories in their opening seven matches.
The visitors come into this one on the back of a 2-1 defeat at home to Monaco at Roazhan Park in their most recent outing a couple of weeks ago before the October international break. Rennes levelled after 11 minutes in that game when Ludovic Blas cancelled out Thilo Kehrer’s opener but the Monagasque’s winner came as soon as the 22nd minute via Folarin Balogun.
BREST TEAM NEWS: RETURN OF LOCKO AND LEES-MELOU
Stade Brest have been without key players such as Bradley Locko and Pierre Lees-Melou throughout the season but they are now both available. Former Newcastle United defender Massadio Haidara is missing through suspension, though.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Bizot; Lala, Chardonnet, Ndiaye, Locko; Camara, Magnetti; Balde, Doumbia, Pereira Lage; Ajorque
UNAVAILABLE: Haidara (Suspended)
QUESTIONABLE:
RENNES TEAM NEWS: DEFENSIVE ISSUES
Former Burnley loanee Lorenz Assignon is unavailable for Rennes this weekend due to suspension and the visitors do have a couple of other injury concerns such as Leo Ostigard and Henrik Meister.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Mandanda; Seidu, Wooh, Faye; Hateboer, Kamara, Matusiwa, Truffert; Blas, Kalimuendo, Gronbaek
UNAVAILABLE: Ostigard (Injured), Assignon (Suspended), Meister (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
BREST VS RENNES PREDICTION
Stade Brest were often quite defensive and pragmatic for a lot of last season but they became quite chaotic in the last month and a half or so of last season and that has continued this year with their seven matches consisting of 23 goals. They now face a Rennes side that are, as mentioned, supposedly attacking themselves as they try and select the right shape for consistency and fluency. Both teams scoring does look a good bet for this one.
BREST VS RENNES TIP: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE