Ligue 1 | Gameweek 13

Nov 30, 2024 at 6pm UK

Stade Francis-Le Ble

Brestvs.Strasbourg

Match preview

While the result wasn't what they were hoping for, Brest's trip to Montjuïc will always be remembered by their supporters. It really shows how far they've come.

Despite losing three times more since, their incredible start to the Champions League means that even if they finish the season in 11th place, they're likely to make it through to the next round.

Next up is the domestic scene, where the Pirates really need to turn things around to stay clear of the relegation zone. They're currently just three points above the bottom three.

They'll finally be back home again, with this being their first game at the Francis Le-Ble since 2 November – a 1-0 defeat to Nice.

That means that after just six home games, they've already had as many home defeats as they did last season – two in 17.

Losing to Barcelona means Roy's team have lost three games in a row in all competitions for the first time in over a year. They've also lost their last three Ligue 1 games.

It's been almost four years since Brest lost four in a row in the league, and Strasbourg might not be the best opponents to face next, given that they're unbeaten in their last four visits here.

Even during their amazing season last year, Strasbourg still got a point here, but Brest made up for that result by beating the Alsacians 3-0 on their own turf in February.

The visitors are also on a losing streak, having lost their last three matches, despite taking the lead in the previous two.

Last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Nice was tough to take, but given that manager Liam Rosenior named the youngest Ligue 1 starting XI for 75 years, it's understandable why they may be a bit fragile when it comes to holding onto leads.

Four of the players have links to sister club Chelsea, while only 25-year-old goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic was over the age of 22. Their four substitutes also only had an average age of 21.8.

It looked like Strasbourg was going to start stronger than last season, but they've ended up matching their record from 2023-24: three wins, four draws, five losses.

The Alsace club ended up finishing 13th last season, 10 points clear of trouble. There'll be slight disappointment if they can't improve on that this time around.

Recent Performance

Brest Ligue 1 form:WDWLLL

Brest form (all competitions):WLWLLL

Strasbourg Ligue 1 form:DLWLLL

Team News

Pierre Lees-Melou is out with a calf injury, so he'll miss the trip to Barcelona in midweek. He'll also be out until after the winter break.

The midfielder joins Bradley Locko and Soumaila Coulibaly on the sidelines, who are both out with long-term injuries. Coulibaly is recovering from a groin injury.

Despite changing the team a lot for league and European games, Roy only made two changes for Barcelona, so he might make some more changes here.

Caleb Wiley, Strasbourg's left-back, dislocated his shoulder in the defeat to Nice last weekend, so he'll be out until 2025. That means he'll be joining Alaa Bellaarouch and Thomas Delaine on the treatment table.

Emanuel Emegha and key midfielder Ismael Doukoure are also out with sprained knees. The latter is still waiting on the results of an MRI scan to see the extent of the issue.

On the bright side, Habib Diarra will be back in the engine room with Rosenior after serving a one-match suspension last week.

Possible starting lineup

Brest possible starting lineup:

Bizot; Zogbe, Chardonnet, Ndiaye, Amavi; Magnetti, Martin, Faivre; Del Castillo, Mama Balde, Salah

Strasbourg possible starting lineup:

Petrovic; Doue, Sarr, Sylla, Senaya; Mwanga, Andrey Santos, Bakwa, Diego Moreira; Mara, Nanasi