UCL Recap: Brest Play Bayer Leverkusen to Draw
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Stade Brestois remain unbeaten in the UEFA Champions League, having secured an impressive 1-1 draw against reigning Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday night at Stade de Roudourou.
Brest are coming off two straight wins in the Champions League and attempted to keep that positive momentum rolling against one of the top teams in Germany this season.
The first half saw the German side record five total shots and open the scoring thanks to a goal from Florian Wirtz in the 24th minute. While being down 1-0 wasn’t the scenario Brest manager Éric Roy wanted, his team responded.
In the 39th minute, Brest leveled the scoring courtesy of a goal from Pierre Lees-Melou to head into halftime tied 1-1 and the home side having the positive momentum. Even though the French side were the underdogs in this contest, they held their own against Xabi Alonso and his team.
Les Pirates were the more aggressive side in the second half, recording nine shots in total, and looking for that go-ahead goal. Despite their efforts, the Ligue 1 side couldn’t find that second goal and nor could the away side as the contest ended in a tightly contested draw.
After the match, Lees-Melou spoke with Canal+ and said he was proud of his team’s performance.
“Sorry for the wording, but I think many expected us to get beaten badly. We were far from being embarrassed; it shows that we have heart and that we play as a team. I wouldn’t say we have regrets, but we played a good match. I’m happy.”
Roy also praised his team's performance, highlighting a crucial part in the second half that should have resulted in a goal.
“We really put them under pressure for about 20 or 25 minutes in the second half. I’m proud to have taken a point against Leverkusen. We still need to improve, and we could have played the first half like we did in the second. Now it’s back to reality; in three days, we need to step up again against Reims.”
Following this result, Brest remain in the top eight for automatic qualification to the Champions League Round of 16. The French side’s next Champions League match will be on November 6 when they face AC Sparta Praha at epet Arena.
Brest will now shift their attention to France’s top flight, where they’re currently 11th in the table. Even though it’s been a challenging start to league play, Roy and his team trail Stade de Reims by four points in the race for a UEFA Europa Conference League spot for the 2025-26 season.
Photo credit: @SB29
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