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These are two of the sides that will likely be among those clubs challenging for the final few spots in the top 24 with Salzburg looking to bounce back from defeat against a Brest that began their campaign with a victory.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Tuesday 1st October, 2024 - UK – 5:45pm / US ET – 12:45pm / US PT – 9:45am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – TNT Sports / US – Paramount+
SALZBURG PREVIEW: PRESSURE ON PEP
Over the summer, Red Bull Salzburg took the decision to appoint former assistant coach to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, Pep Lijnders. The Austrians relinquished their long-term grip on the Bundesliga title to Sturm Graz last year and have been a little underwhelming at the start of this season, too.
That said, they do come into this on the back of back-to-back victories domestically. Their opening game of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League campaign saw them travel to the Czech capital and get on the receiving end of what was a hammering with Sparta Prague enjoying a 3-0 victory.
BREST PREVIEW: THE OVER ACHIEVERS
Last season, with one of the smallest budgets in Ligue 1, Stade Brest managed to achieve a third place finish and qualify for the UEFA Champions League quite extraordinarily under the management of former Sunderland player Eric Roy.
The departures of and injuries to some really key players has meant a naturally slower start to this season for the French club but they do still have the capability to pull off impressive results as they did in their 2-1 defeat of the aforementioned Sturm Graz in their opening game of this competition. However, the visitors do come into this one on the back of being hammered 3-0 by Auxerre at the weekend in Ligue 1.
SALZBURG TEAM NEWS: PLENTY OF ISSUES
Serbia international wing-back Aleksa Terzic remains unavailable for the home team alongside the likes of Maurits Kjaergaard, Samson Baidoo, Daouda Guindo and Fernando.
Lijnders’ tactical identity and philosophy is expected to be akin to that of Klopp’s but perhaps more controlled. There has been a general lack of cohesion in these early stages of the season.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Blaswich; Morgalla, Piatkowski, Blank, Dedic; Capaldo, Bajcetic, Gloukh; Daghim, Konate, Dorgeles
UNAVAILABLE: Baidoo (Injured), Terzic (Injured), Kjaergaard (Injured), Guindo (Injured), Kawamura (Injured), Fernando (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
BREST TEAM NEWS: DEL CASTILLO BACK
Key Stade Brest attacker Romain Del Castillo had recently been added to their injury list but Eric Roy will be able to call upon his services this week, reliant on his cutting edge in attack.
There are still a couple of injury issues for the visitors, though, as reported Tottenham Hotspur target Bradley Locko and former Norwich City midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou both sidelined.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Bizot; Lala, Chardonnet, Coulibaly, Amavi; Camara, Fernandes, Magnetti; Faivre, Ajorque, Sima
UNAVAILABLE: Locko (Injured), Lees-Melou (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
KEY STATS
SALZBURG VS BREST PREDICTION
As mentioned, the style of football looking to be implemented by Lijnders and Salzburg is expected to quite attacking and generally fun to watch but there is a concern that it is one of the weaker Salzburg squads of the last decade. They face a Brest side that ended last season being quite chaotic and that has actually continued into this campaign, too, so both teams scoring would appear a good bet for this one.
SALZBURG VS BREST TIP: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE