Burkina Faso
Indonesia
Lithuania
Montenegro
Nigeria
North Macedonia
Northern Ireland

Brestvs.Metz

sportsmole.co.uk, 5 April 2024, 11:14
Ligue 1's surprise package Brest continue their charge towards Champions League qualification when they host Metz on Sunday afternoon.

The hosts enter the weekend in second, while visitors Metz are currently second-from-bottom, and in grave danger of an instant return back to Ligue 2.

Match preview

Brest's scarcely-believable campaign continued last weekend, as they returned to winning ways with a late win over Lorient.

That kept Eric Roy's side in second, as Brest are now guaranteed European qualification for the first time in their history, but the likelihood is that it will be automatic group stage Champions League qualification for the relative minnows.

A place in the top four looks very likely now, with a seven-point gap to Nice who are fifth - a staggering achievement for a club who were playing in the fourth tier at the start of the 21st century.

Brest only won promotion to Ligue 1 in 2019, and four bottom-half finishes have followed, illustrating even more how much of an outlier this current campaign is.

A defeat to Lens last month knocked them slightly off track, but that remains their only defeat in 16 games, as Roy's side have taken 35 points in that time.

They are now on their longest unbeaten home run in over a decade having gone eight without defeat here at the Stade Francis-Le Ble, and conceding just two goals in that streak, so it is therefore no surprise that Brest have one of the best defensive records anywhere in Europe, with just 20 goals conceded after 27 league games.

While all of four Brest's previous wins over Metz have come without conceding, they actually have a rather poor recent record against their upcoming opponents at home.

Metz have won on their last two visits here in the league, but after another humbling result last week, they will struggle to replicate that.

Laszlo Boloni saw his side go 3-0 down inside a quarter of an hour at home to Monaco, before losing 5-2, leaving them four points from safety with seven games remaining.

The gap to Lorient in the relegation playoff spot is only three points, but after a fine spell in early March, they have gone off the boil again.

That spurt of form was thanks to the re-signing of Georges Mikautadze from Ajax on loan, the man who got 25 goals in their promotion campaign last season, and his form will be pivotal as to whether Metz can survive.

Mikautadze scored in both of their wins last month, and has three since returning to the club late in January, adding to the two he got before his departure earlier in the season, making him the club's top scorer for the season despite spending the majority of it in Amsterdam.

Brest Ligue 1 form:

W

W

W

L

D

W

Metz Ligue 1 form:

L

L

W

W

L

L

Team News

After coming on as an 89th-minute substitute against Lorient at the weekend, Bilal Brahimi did not do the best job in helping his side see out the victory, as he was given a straight red card, meaning he will be suspended here.

Another former Nice player is their only other absentee, as left-back Jordan Amavi is currently sidelined with a calf injury.

Romain Del Castillo will expect to come back into the starting XI for this one after netting the winner off the bench last week, taking the top scorer to six goals for the season in Ligue 1.

Ensuring Mikautadze is not isolated in attack will be the order of the day for Boloni, as his 5-4-1 system last week did not work in their thrashing against Monaco.

Danley Jean Jacques and Cheikh Sabaly will both return after suspension and could see Metz revert to a four-at-the-back, but Didier Lamkel Ze, Maxime Colin and Kevin N'Doram remain out injured.

Brest possible starting lineup:

Bizot; Lala, Chardonnet, Brassier, Locko; Martin, Magnetti, M Camara; Pereira Lage, Satriano, Del Castillo

Metz possible starting lineup:

Oukidja; Kouao, Herelle, Cande, Udol; Van Den Kerkhof, Jean Jacques, L Camara; Sabaly, Mikautadze, Atta

We say: Brest 1-0 Metz

Metz have won on their previous two visits here, scoring six goals in the process, but with Brest's defence currently the toughest to breach in all of France, a repeat scenario looks unlikely.

Previews by email
Show more

Top News

3 May 2025 talksport.com Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze won $20,000 thanks to his high class chess skills. 3 May 2025 talksport.com The kick-off time for the FA Cup final has finally been confirmed, just two weeks before the showpiece match at Wembley Stadium. 3 May 2025 talksport.com Reading fans rejoiced on social media after it was announced that unpopular owner Dai Yongge has agreed a sale. 3 May 2025 talksport.com Leicester City vs Southampton may be a dead rubber between two relegated sides today - but six years ago it produced one of the most unforgettable Premier League matches. 3 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Nearing the end of a sub-par Serie A campaign, AC Milan visit mid-table Genoa on Monday evening, aiming to post a fourth away win on the spin. 3 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal are allegedly willing to listen to summer bids for Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori just one year after his arrival at the club from Bologna. 3 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City legend Kevin De Bruyne has supposedly entered talks with a new MLS club over a free transfer when the summer window opens. 3 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are supposedly willing to let Trent Alexander-Arnold join Real Madrid before the end of his contract if two conditions are met. 3 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk All transfer business is done and dusted for this season, but that doesn't stop clubs from preparing ahead for next season. 3 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Atlanta vs. Nashville (Saturday, 7.45pm) Seeking to end a three-match losing streak in MLS, Atlanta United host Nashville SC in Saturday's gameweek 11 fixture at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 3 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Caykur Rizespor vs. Gaziantep (Saturday, 2.00pm) There is still plenty left to play for near the foot of the Turkish Super Lig table, and Caykur Rizespor will be all too aware of that as they prepare to welcome Gaziantep in a fixture that may prove vital in the relegation picture. 3 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Farense vs. Famalicao (Saturday, 3.30pm) With just three rounds remaining in the Primeira Liga, SC Farense welcome Famalicao to Estadio de Sao Luís this weekend knowing that anything less than a win would end their hopes of avoiding the drop outright. 3 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Nijmegen vs. Willem II (Saturday, 3.30pm) Willem II will be hoping to bring an end to their dismal run of form in the Eredivisie this weekend when they travel to Goffertstadion to face NEC Nijmegen on Saturday afternoon. 3 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Alaves vs. Atletico (Saturday, 1.00pm) Atletico Madrid will be aiming to make it successive victories in Spain's top flight when they continue their campaign with a clash against Alaves at Mendizorrotza Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 3 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Cagliari vs. Udinese (Saturday, 2.00pm) Cagliari are two places behind Udinese in the Serie A table heading into Saturday's gameweek 35 encounter at Unipol Domus. 3 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk RB Leipzig vs. Bayern (Saturday, 2.30pm) A victory for visitors Bayern Munich against RB Leipzig on Saturday at Red Bull Arena would secure the Bundesliga title. 3 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Strasbourg vs. PSG (Saturday, 4.00pm) Ligue 1's two most in-form clubs go head-to-head at the Stade de la Meinau on Saturday, when Strasbourg host champions Paris Saint-Germain. 3 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa vs. Fulham (Saturday, 12.30pm) Seeking to close the gap to the Premier League's top five, Champions League-chasing Aston Villa play host to fellow European hopefuls Fulham at Villa Park on Saturday lunchtime. 3 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk In a matchup between the bottom two teams in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer, Sporting Kansas City welcome the Los Angeles Galaxy to Children's Mercy Park on Sunday. 2 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea Women will play their first match since clinching the Women's Super League title when they lock horns with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur Women on Sunday. 2 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Fighting for a top-four finish in the Turkish Super Lig, Samsunspor are set to host Eyupspor at Stadyum Samsun for a 'six-pointer' on Sunday. 2 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have now reportedly named their price demands for Antony, who has been the subject of interest from another La Liga side while he thrives at Real Betis. 2 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa Women will look to claim a fourth consecutive victory when they travel to the Chigwell Construction Stadium for Sunday's meeting with West Ham United Women. 2 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea are reportedly now giving 'serious consideration' to a move for Ajax defender Jorrel Hato as they seek to beat two Premier League rivals to the Dutchman's signature. 2 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool intend to sit down and discuss a new contract with Colombian attacker Luis Diaz at the end of the season, according to a report. 2 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United Women will face local rivals Manchester City Women in Sunday's Women's Super League clash at Old Trafford. 2 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Fenerbahce will look to keep their Turkish Super Lig title hopes alive when they welcome arch-rivals Besiktas to Sukru Saracoglu Stadium for a fierce Istanbul derby on Sunday evening. 2 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk By the time visitors Bayer Leverkusen play fourth-placed Freiburg at Europa-Park Stadion on Sunday, Bayern Munich may have already taken their Bundesliga crown. 2 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk In a battle that will impact the race for survival and European football, Augsburg will host second last Holstein Kiel at WWK Arena on Sunday in their third final Bundesliga game of the season. 2 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City have boosted their hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League after edging past Wolverhampton Wanderers by a slender 1-0 scoreline at the Etihad Stadium on Friday night.