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Brest vs PSG match preview
Less than two years ago, Brest were in the Ligue 1 relegation zone during a season when Paris St-Germain spent the entire campaign at the top of the table.
Manager Eric Roy had just taken charge of The Pirates and would steer his team to safety, finishing 41 points below PSG with a goal difference inferiority to them of 59. Now the teams will meet over two legs for a place in the Champions League round of 16, starting at the Stade de Roudourou on Tuesday (5.45pm GMT).
The hosts have been making a 70-mile trip to the Guingamp venue because their Stade Francis-Le Ble home does not meet the requirements of tournament organisers Uefa.
Around 950 PSG fans are expected to attend in the hope of avoiding a surprise against Roy’s team, who are in their first European campaign and reached the play-offs despite losing 3-0 at home to Real Madrid on Matchday 8.
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“I came out of the match with a feeling of frustration,” said Roy, who was working as a pundit when Brest approached him. “Real were impressive but we felt that we could put them in difficulty. Based on our performance, we can have regrets.”
PSG will hope to make experience tell in their 13th successive Champions League campaign, having reached the semi-finals last time around and the final in 2019/20.
Ligue 1 leaders by 10 points, they found form at the end of the league phase to confirm a play-off place by beating Manchester City 4-2 at home and Stuttgart 4-1 away, with manager Luis Enrique signing a contract extension until 2027 last week.
“It can only be positive,” the 2014/15 Champions League winner as Barcelona manager said of his deal, adding that one of his targets is to make the club European champions for the first time.
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“We arrived here a year and a half ago and, since the first day, we have felt all the confidence of the club and all the resources that are at our disposal.
“For me, as a coach, it makes me want to work even harder to improve and imagine that we will be the first to make history. That is my goal and that of my staff. We will see if we can do it.”
Brest vs PSG team news
Midfielder Jonas Martin came on as a substitute in four of Brest’s first five games of the league phase but has missed their last three with a muscle tear and remains out.
Attacker Romain Del Castillo, who has featured in all but one of their Champions League matches, is a doubt after sitting out their 2-0 win at Nantes on Friday with a knee problem.
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New 19-year-old left-back Justin Bourgault, signed from third-tier team Concarneau, has not been added to the club’s Champions League squad, with Massadio Haidara – their regular starter in that position – returning to play 90 minutes at Nantes following a calf issue.
Bourgault was partly signed because of injuries to two other left-backs: neither Bradley Locko nor Jordan Amavi are part of Brest’s squad.
Midfielder Mahdi Camara started all eight league phase games and must avoid a booking to be eligible for the second leg on February 19 (8pm).
Warren Zaïre-Emery is out for PSG with an ankle injury the 18-year-old sustained during their thrashing of Stuttgart.
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The midfielder has featured in all of Paris’s Champions League matches this season, starting six times and scoring in their 2-1 home defeat to Atletico Madrid on November 6.
Forward Ibrahim Mbaye is out with the same problem, although the 17-year-old’s only European involvement has been one appearance as an unused substitute.
Winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could make his European debut for the club, having joined from Napoli for a reported £59m plus add-ons.
Georgia international Kvaratskhelia was named the 2022/23 Champions League Young Player of the Season after being directly involved in six goals in nine appearances for his former club.
Midfielder Fabian Ruiz is a booking away from a suspension.
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Brest vs PSG expected line-ups
Brest starting XI: Bizot, Lala, Chardonnet, Coulibaly, Haïdara, Camara, Fernandes, Magnetti, Doumbia, Ajorque, Balde
PSG starting XI: Donnarumma, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, Barcola, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia
How to watch Brest vs PSG: Live stream, TV channel
Kick-off is at 17:45 UK time, with live coverage on TNT Sports 1 commencing at 17:00.
Brest vs PSG stats
- In the last 8 Brest matches the sum of goals was under 3.5
- In the last 6 Brest matches in the Champions League, the sum of goals was under 3.5
- Brest have lost 3 of the last 4 matches in the Champions League while scoring less than 0.5 goals
- Brest have lost 3 of the last 4 matches in the Champions League while scoring less than 1.5 goals
- Brest have lost 3 of the last 4 matches in the Champions League and the sum of goals was under 3.5
- Paris Saint-Germain have won 9 of the last 11 matches and the sum of goals was over 2.5
- Paris Saint-Germain have won 9 of the last 11 matches while scoring more than 1.5 goals
- In 9 of the last 11 Paris Saint-Germain matches the sum of goals was over 2.5
- Paris Saint-Germain have won the last 3 matches in a row in the Champions League while scoring more than 2.5 goals
- In 8 of the last 10 Paris Saint-Germain matches in the Champions League, the sum of goals was under 3.5
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Brest vs PSG prediction
Both teams arrive in good form: Brest won twice in four days last week and are two points off the European qualification places after their 10th league victory of the season, while PSG won 4-1 at home to Monaco on Friday for a fourth straight win in all competitions, extending their unbeaten run to 16 games.
One of their wins came 5-2 at Brest in their last league away game, although that scoreline could be interpreted as a little misleading.
PSG dominated possession but each side had 14 attempts at goal and seven on target, with Del Castillo making it 1-1 during the second half and only two goals after the 88th minute by Goncalo Ramos putting Paris out of sight.
Newly-crowned Ligue 1 Player of the Month Ousmane Dembele scored a 34-minute hat-trick in that game and the forward will hope to continue his scintillating form, netting 15 times in his last nine appearances in all competitions, including three at Stuttgart and the goal that started PSG’s comeback against City, recovering from 2-0 behind after 55 minutes.
Dembele also scored twice in 33 minutes when PSG beat Brest 3-1 at home on September 14, recovering from Del Castillo’s 29th-minute opener.
Brest have not won the fixture in 13 attempts since their promotion from Ligue 2 in 2018/19, but the one-off nature of the play-off is underlined by the fact that it is only the second all-French tie in the competition proper, following Lyon’s showdown with Bordeaux in the quarter-finals 15 years ago.
As much as Brest might relish being considered underdogs, Kvaratskhelia’s performance against Monaco, which included putting his team ahead during the second half, may not have enthused them.
“Kvara can play anywhere,” Luis Enrique suggested afterwards. “He scored like a perfect number nine in a tight space, on a stroke of genius.”
The 23-year-old may also have a point to prove on his first Champions League appearance since last season, in which he contributed one assist in eight games.
Brest have let in the most goals of any Ligue 1 team above the relegation zone and have conceded eight times in their last four European matches, scoring once. PSG can inflict more damage, winning 2-0 here.
