After pushing Paris Saint-Germain all the way last term, Lens begin their 2023-24 Ligue 1 campaign with an away fixture against Brest on Sunday afternoon.
Last season's runners-up finished a solitary point behind champions PSG, while the Pirates finished 14th - nine points clear of the relegation zone.
Match preview
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When Brest picked up just two wins in 13 league games between December and March last season, it looked as though Eric Roy's side were destined for relegation, but they managed to turn things around and beat the drop.
Indeed, the Pirates lost only two of their final 11 matches, securing six wins and three draws in the process, with five victories coming in their last seven outings.
It is also worth remembering that Brest won five of their final six home league games last term, keeping three clean sheets for good measure, so the Brittany outfit will be confident of enjoying more success at the Stade Francis-Le Ble this season.
Brest kicked off their pre-season preparations with back-to-back wins over Avranches and Concerneau before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Rennes, but they bounced straight back with a 1-0 victory over Guingamp before drawing 1-1 with Italian side Cagliari in their final warm-up match last weekend.
Including friendlies, the Pirates have suffered just three defeats across their previous 16 matches, picking up nine wins along the way, and that positive run of results will only give Roy's men confidence ahead of the new campaign.
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To say that Lens enjoyed an impressive 2022-23 campaign would be an understatement, as the Blood and Gold finished only one point shy of champions PSG and 11 points clear of third-placed Marseille to secure Champions League football.
Remarkably, Franck Haise's men lost just four of their 38 league encounters last term, suffering three defeats fewer than PSG, although they were unable to dethrone the perennial champions, despite winning 11 of their final 12 matches.
On top of that, Lens achieved the best defensive record in Ligue 1 last season, conceding a measly 29 goals in 38 games, with former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba finishing atop the clean sheet leaderboard after notching 15 shutouts.
The Blood and Gold have lost a handful of key players this summer, with Belgian forward Lois Openda - who scored 21 league goals last season - moving to RB Leipzig and Seko Fofana - who contributed nine goals and six assists from midfield - joining Saudi club Al-Nassr.
However, following the arrival of Andy Diouf, Angelo Fulgini, Oscar Cortes, Morgan Guilavogui and Stijn Spierings, Haise will back his new-look squad to emulate last season's heroics.
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Team News
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Brest head into the new season with an injury-free squad, meaning that Eric Roy has plenty of options to choose from when it comes to picking his first team of the campaign.
Former Reims defender Bradley Locko will likely make his competitive debut for the Pirates, with Inter Milan loanee Martin Satriano expected to feature in the forward line.
Having top scored with 10 goals last term, Jeremy Le Douaron will join Satriano in attack, while Romain Del Castillo will aim to build on his tally of six goals and seven assists from the previous campaign.
As for Lens, they look set to start the season without the injured duo of Jimmy Cabot and Wuiolker Farinez, who are both nursing knee issues, while Wesley Said is a doubt due to a muscle problem.
Andy Diouf and Angelo Fulgini look set to make their competitive debuts for the Blood and Gold on Sunday, with Florian Sotoca expected to lead the line after scoring in last weekend's friendly defeat to Manchester United.
Brest possible starting lineup:
Bizot; Brassier, Chardonnet, Lala, Locko; Lees-Melou; Magnetti, Lage; Del Castillo, Le Douaron, Satriano
Lens possible starting lineup:
Samba; Gradit, Danso, Medina; Frankowski, Samed, Diouf, Machado; Thomasson, Fulgini; Sotoca
We say: Brest 0-1 Lens
Given what Lens achieved last term, we expect the Blood and Gold to claim all three points on the opening weekend, although Brest will likely give last season's runners-up a run for their money after finishing the previous campaign on a high.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Morris
