Burkina Faso
Nigeria
South Korea
United Arab Emirates

Brestvs.Reims

sportsmole.co.uk, 14 March 2025, 18:27
Reims travel to Brest in Ligue 1 this weekend, looking to distance themselves from the relegation zone in the standings.

Samba Diawara's side are 15th in the table, just one point above Le Havre in the relegation playoff position, and two points ahead of Saint-Etienne in 17th.

Match preview

Reims are currently on a dismal run in the league, and they have not won in Ligue 1 since a 3-0 victory against fellow strugglers Le Havre on November 10.

After a strong start to the season under Luka Elsner, in which the club won four of their opening seven matches in Ligue 1, things appeared to be going well for Slovenian manager, who joined the club last summer from Le Havre.

However, a nine-match winless run in the league between November and February was enough for Reims to make a change in the dugout, with Diawara given the job permanently last month.

Reims have lost all of their league matches under their new boss, and Diawara's side have not won any games in normal time in any competition under his guidance, with his two victories coming against Bourgoin-Jallieu and Angers in the Coupe de France coming on penalties.

The visitors are currently on a winless streak in the league that stands at 14 matches, and their form does not appear to be coming back any time soon.

The departures of both Emmanuel Agbadou and Marshall Munetsi to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the winter transfer window did little to help a squad that were already struggling for form at the time, and the change in management has done little to improve the club's fortunes.

Having established themselves in Ligue 1 since their promotion in 2018, Reims finished ninth last season, and they certainly were not considered as a club that could possibly be facing relegation to Ligue 2.

However, with their loss of form, the reality of a relegation battle is very much creeping in, and the main target for the club will be surviving in the division, despite having a Coupe de France semi-final to look forward to against Cannes next month.

The visitors have secured two more points on their travels than at home this season, although their away record is still far from ideal, and if they were to win this weekend, it would be only their fourth away triumph of the campaign.

Scoring goals has been a major issue in recent weeks, with Diawara's men blanking in front of goal in their last five league matches, being outscored by 11 goals to none in the league since he took charge of the club.

They come up against a Brest defence that have been generous to their opponents this season, as they have conceded 40 times in 25 league matches.

Unfortunately for the visitors, their defence has let in the same amount of goals as Brest, and they come up against an attack that have netted 12 more times this season than Diawara's men.

Eric Roy's side were the talk of Europe with their impressive form in the early stages of the Champions League this season, and eight wins in 11 matches between November 30 and January 26 in all competitions had the club dreaming of European football again next season.

However, a recent six-game winless streak in all competitions saw them crash out of both the Champions League and the Coupe de France after humiliating defeats against Paris Saint-Germain and Dunkerque.

That streak was brought to an end last weekend, as the hosts won 2-0 against Angers, with goals from Abdallah Sima and Romain Faivre securing a needed win for Roy's side.

Brest are currently ninth in the standings, and they are six points behind Lyon, who are in the final European qualification position in sixth, so there is plenty of work to do if they are to qualify for Europe again this season.

They will fancy their chances up against the most out-of-form team in the division at present, and the hosts have only lost three times at home in Ligue 1 all season, so they will be confident of success this weekend.

Goals from Faivre and Mama Balde helped Les Pirates to success in the reverse fixture back in October, as Brest won 2-1 at Stade Auguste Delaune, and they will be hoping to complete a double against Reims with another victory on Sunday.

Brest Ligue 1 form:

L

W

D

D

L

W

Brest form (all competitions):

D

L

D

L

L

W

Reims Ligue 1 form:

L

L

L

L

L

L

Reims form (all competitions):

L

L

L

W

L

L

Team News

The hosts have several injury concerns ahead of this match, as Bradley Locko (Achilles) and Ibrahim Salah (foot) have been ruled out for the game.

Elsewhere, Balde, who netted against Reims earlier in the season, is a doubt after missing last weekend's clash with Angers due to injury, while Romain Del Castillo (knee), Soumaila Coulibaly and last weekend's scorer Sima are all questionable to feature.

Meanwhile, the visitors also have several players ruled out of this game, as Reda Khadra and Mohammed Daramy are out for the season with knee injuries, while Jordan Pefok (hamstring) and Yaya Fofana are also not due back for the foreseeable future.

In further blows for the visitors, Alexandre Olliero (ankle) and Gabriel Moscardo are also doubts for this clash due to injuries.

Brest possible starting lineup:

Bizot; Haidara, Le Cardinal, Chardonnet, Lala; Sima, Magnetti, Lees-Melou, Pereira Lage, Camara; Ajorque

Reims possible starting lineup:

Diouf; Akieme, Gbane, Okumu, Sekine; Patrick, Atangana, Ito, Teuma, Nakamura; Diakite

We say: Brest 2-0 Reims

Reims do not look as if they can win anywhere right now, and we think that their pain will continue here.

Written by

Tom Humphrey

Previews by email
Show more

Top News

20 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham is poised to break a national team record set by Wayne Rooney when the Three Lions face Albania in their opening World Cup 2026 qualifier. 20 March 2025 talksport.com Kylian Mbappe is one of the top footballers of his generation - but his attitude could stop him from becoming the world's best player. 20 March 2025 talksport.com Chelsea have continued their strategy of snapping up the game's best youth players, although this time they weren't the ones to announce it. 20 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal expert Charles Watts has told Sports Mole that he would lean towards selling Fabio Vieira this summer, despite the Gunners' need for creativity and the Portuguese's strong displays on loan at Porto. 20 March 2025 talksport.com Harry Kane will have fond memories of playing against Albania. 20 March 2025 talksport.com Bayern Munich have confirmed the heartbreaking death of 18-year-old Guo Jiaxuan following a tragic accident during a training match. 20 March 2025 talksport.com England fans must pump the brakes on their dreams that Thomas Tuchel can deliver the nation some long-awaited silverware. 20 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal are reportedly one of three Premier League teams to make 'initial contact' over a summer deal for Fiorentina striker Moise Kean. 20 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have reportedly made a shock move to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder and former Manchester City academy product Felix Nmecha. 20 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Sporting Lisbon have confirmed that they have reached a double agreement with Chelsea for the transfers of youngsters Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo. 20 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Leicester City became the first team in Premier League history to lose seven consecutive home games without scoring a goal in their recent defeat to Manchester United. 20 March 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. 20 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Turkey vs. Hungary (Thursday, 5.00pm) Turkey will welcome Hungary to Istanbul for Thursday's first leg of their UEFA Nations League playoffs against Hungary. 20 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni will be looking for someone to step up in Lionel Messi's absence in Friday's 2026 World Cup qualifying clash against Uruguay. 20 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Argentina have confirmed Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez has withdrawn from the squad due to injury. 20 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have reportedly identified Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni as a possible replacement for Virgil van Dijk. 20 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk As part of their preparation for the World Cup Qualifiers, Northern Ireland are set to host Switzerland at Windsor Park for a friendly match on Friday. 19 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni will be looking for someone to step up in Lionel Messi's absence in Friday's 2026 World Cup qualifying clash against Uruguay. 19 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Paris Saint-Germain have been touted as a possible destination for Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk, who is currently set to leave the club for free in the summer. 19 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Argentina will resume their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign when they travel to Montevideo for Friday's clash against Uruguay. 19 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly interested in the signature of RB Leipzig attacker Xavi Simons, with the club having failed to impress in the final third under Ruben Amorim. 19 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Poland will hope to get their World Cup 2026 qualification campaign off to a strong start when they welcome Lithuania to Stadion Narodowy in their first group stage game on Friday. 19 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has been handed another potentially concerning injury scare, as Ryan Gravenberch has been forced to withdraw from the Netherlands squad. 19 March 2025 talksport.com Crawley Town have sacked Rob Elliot ahead of their final nine games to secure League One survival. 19 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk In their first group stage game of their World Cup qualification campaign, Malta will host Finland at Ta'Qali National Stadium on Friday. 19 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Algeria will aim to go a step closer to securing qualification for the 2026 World Cup when they clash with Botswana at Francistown Stadium on Friday. 19 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Following in the footsteps of Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello as England's third permanent foreign manager, Thomas Tuchel takes charge for the first time when Albania stop over at Wembley on Friday. 19 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Ecuador will welcome Venezuela to the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado in Quito for Friday's 2026 World Cup qualifier. 19 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Officials from Manchester United and Real Betis will reportedly meet next week to discuss Antony's future, with another loan move for the 2025-26 campaign believed to be a serious option. 19 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona are reportedly considering making a move for Feyenoord defender Givairo Read during this summer's transfer window.