Lens vs Brest Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 French Ligue 1
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Will Still has begun life as Lens managed with back-to-back wins in Ligue 1 and the playoff round of the UEFA Europa Conference League with the northerners now taking on a Stade Brest side still reeling from their opening day hammering at the hands of Olympique de Marseille.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Sunday 25th August, 2024 - UK – 7:45pm / US ET – 2:45pm / US PT – 10:45am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – TBC / US – beIN Sports or beIN Sports de Espanol
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – TBC / US – Fanatiz or Fubo
LENS PREVIEW: WILL STILL’S LENS
Last season, Lens had a lot of changers in the summer and started slowly after finishing the 2022/23 season as runners’ up in Ligue 1. Will Still has since replaced Franck Haise, now at Nice, in the Lens dugout after Still’s time at Stade de Reims, which started so brightly, had fizzled out.
They have once again appeared to do some quite smart business in the transfer window and they began the 2024/25 Ligue 1 season by winning 1-0 away at newly-promoted Angers last weekend. They followed that up by edging past Greek Super League side Panathinaikos in the first-leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League playoff round tie by two goals to one.
BREST PREVIEW: ERIC ROY’S BREST
Under the management of former Sunderland player Eric Roy, Stade Brest produced one of the great stories in European football last season as they managed to finish third in Ligue 1 and qualify for the UEFA Champions League. This summer has seen a few changes and incomings and required, though, as was shown by their poor start to the season.
Hosting a new look and refreshed Olympique de Marseille side last weekend, Brest fell behind early on to Mason Greenwood’s first Marseille goal before Luiz Henrique made it two shortly after and then Greenwood added his second just after the half-hour mark. Brest got a goal back just before half-time but Luiz Henrique and then a Elye Wahi penalty completed the rout.
LENS TEAM NEWS: BALANCING REST AND ROTATION
Will Still has the added complication of having to balance selecting his best eleven with his freshest given the fact that Lens have already begun UEFA competition this season and could play a lot of games.
Franck Haise deployed a successful three-at-the-back system with Lens during his time in charge and Lens have continued to stick with that system for this season, too.
PREDICTED XI (3-4-1-2): Samba; Gradit, Danso, Medina; Aguilar, Thomasson, Mendy, Jhoanner Chavez; Fulgini; Sotoca, Said
UNAVAILABLE: Cabot (Injured), El Aynaoui (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
BREST TEAM NEWS: KEY ABSENTEES
Stade Brest are dealing with some key issues at the start of this season as they try to adapt to life without Steve Mounie for one, who left the club in the summer, but they also have some key absentees.
Abdoulaye Ndiaye was sent off on the opening day so he is missing through suspension, whilst key players Bradley Locko and Pierre Lees-Melou are both sidelined by injury.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Bizot; Lala, Chardonnet, Le Cardinal, Amavi; Camara, Martin, Pereira Lage; Del Castillo, Ajorque, Le Douaron
UNAVAILABLE: Locko (Injured), Ndiaye (Suspended), Lees-Melou (Injured), M’Bock (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
LENS VS BREST PREDICTION
In the last couple of seasons, both of these sides have massively overperformed pre-season expectations to make it into the UEFA Champions League. Lens, though, even under new management and potential teething issues, do appear the most well set for this season – albeit with the distraction of being in the middle of a European tie. Brest need to batten down that hatches that came loose in the run-in and there will be a concern their start was a continuation of signs that had become obvious towards the end of last year.
LENS VS BREST TIP: LENS TO WIN
