Looking to make it three wins on the bounce, Brest will travel to the Stade de l'Abbe Deschamps to face Auxerre on Friday for matchday six of the 2024-25 Ligue 1 season.
The hosts are 16th in the table with just three points from five fixtures, while the visitors are 11th with two wins and three losses from their opening league matches.
Match preview
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Auxerre earned promotion back into Ligue 1 for the first time since 2011-12 when they won the playoffs in 2021-22, but AJA failed to keep their place in the top flight as they were relegated straight back down.
They did manage to earn promotion back into the top division in their first attempt as they placed top of Ligue 2 in 2023-24, finishing on 74 points from 38 matches, six points clear of second-placed Angers.
AJA kickstarted their return to Ligue 1 with a phenomenal 2-1 win against Nice, courtesy of a 95th-minute winner from Lasso Coulibaly, but they have since lost the following four games.
Despite a 3-2 defeat to Montpellier in their last outing, Christophe Pelissier, who has been in charge since October 2022, would have been boosted by his team's performance as they went toe-to-toe with an established top-division side, and he will be looking to build upon that showing in this one.
Friday's matchup with Brest could provide a brilliant opportunity for Auxerre to pick up much-needed points, with their visitors also facing difficulties at the beginning of this campaign.
After making an impressive leap from 14th place in 2022-23 to a third-placed finish last season, Brest have so far struggled to replicate that success this term.
Eric Roy's men suffered a devastating 5-1 defeat to Marseille on the opening day, followed by losses to Lens and Paris Saint-Germain, sandwiched around a promising 4-0 victory against Saint-Etienne.
Brest's first-ever match in European competition has seemingly boosted morale within the camp, as they secured a historic 2-1 victory in the Champions League against SK Sturm Graz, and they have since beaten Toulouse 2-0, marking their first consecutive victories of the season.
Although they secured a 2-0 win against Toulouse in their last match, Roy is likely to be concerned about his team's performance, as they were outclassed, generating only 0.46 expected goals (xG) compared to their opponents' 2.73 xG, and he will be hoping for a stronger display this time out.
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Team News
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The hosts could be without up to six players for this match due to picking up a number of injury issues in recent outings.
Gideon Mensah, Ange Loic N'gatta, Saad Agouzoul, Nathan Buayi-Kiala and Coulibaly are all likely to remain sidelined having also missed the last match, while Jubal could be out of the side after being substituted off in the 44th minute of their defeat to Montpellier due to injury.
Despite suffering a defeat in their last match, Pelissier may field a similar lineup against Brest, as the team produced a largely promising performance during that game.
Brest will be unable to call upon the services of Bradley Locko (Achilles), Pierre Lees-Melou (leg) and Romain Del Castillo (groin) for this match, though the latter two are expected to return in the coming weeks.
Mama Balde is also unlikely to feature after being forced off with an injury in the 66th minute of their last game, leaving Ludovic Ajorque anticipated to take his place in the starting side.
Roy will also be absent from the sidelines after the manager was sent off in their victory over Toulouse, leaving Julien Lachuer to take charge from the dugout.
Auxerre possible starting lineup:
Leon; Hoever, Diomande, Raveloson, Osho, Akpa; Traore, Owusu, Danois, Sinayoko; Aye
Brest possible starting lineup:
Bizot; Zogbe, Cardinal, Ndiaye, Haidara; Lage, Magnetti, Martin; Doumbia; Salah, Ajorque
We say: Auxerre 1-2 Brest
While both teams have faced challenging starts to 2024-25, the visitors look as if they are starting to pick up form with two successive wins heading into this one, suggesting a win for Brest.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
