Brest: With Pierre Lees-Melou, everything changes
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A key absentee for the start of Stade Brestois 29’s season, Pierre Lees-Melou returned to action after almost five months recovering from an injury.
Stade Brestois were sitting second in the Champions League rankings before facing Bayer Leverkusen. They had done a decent job against Sturm Graz (2-1) and Salzberg (0-4), but when faced with the daunting prospect of the German champions there was one man who stepped up at just the right time...
Pierre Lees-Melou was in the right place at the right time to connect with a superb volley to level the score for Les Pirates on the 39th minute. It ended up being decisive, as Brest went on to salvage a point after going one goal down to Florian Wirtz's strike.
Whilst much of Brest's sucess in Europe was achieved without the playmaker, his return was more than emphatic.
After his first 45 minutes of the season against Le Havre before the international break (2-0, Matchday 7), manager Eric Roy commented simply: "Pretty good for a first match." He had been waiting a long time for the return of his midfield maestro.
“I struggled to catch my breath”
Last Saturday, during a Breton derby against Stade Rennais (1-1), Lees-Melou helped his team secure a positive result with 63 touches, an 81% pass completion rate, and an impressive 11 ball recoveries in 74 minutes. "I was happy to be back, but I wasn’t physically ready to last the entire match. That was expected. It went pretty well, but for the first ten minutes, I struggled to catch my breath," the Brest midfielder admitted.
Lees-Melou had been sidelined with a stress fracture in his right fibula since early May, which required a plate and bone graft surgery. His recovery period was initially estimated at three months, meaning he could have returned for the start of the season.
However, week after week, Roy kept postponing Lees-Melou’s return to the squad, despite there being no medical reason to hold him back. This prolonged absence even led to rumours, picked up by influential media outlets, suggesting the player was unwilling to return due to his failed transfer to Rennes last winter. Lees-Melou dismissed these claims as "nonsense" after making his comeback.
Brest's midfield engine
"I still feel a few vibrations, but the worst is over," Lees-Melou said at the time of his return.
With 54 touches, 7 ball recoveries, a 90% pass success rate, and a left-footed shot -- from his "good" leg -- that narrowly missed, Lees-Melou reassured everyone, including himself, by showing off his full range of skills during the second half against Le Havre.
"He can manage the ball, control the tempo of the match. He can play short or long, although we didn’t see much long passing today, probably because he’s still protecting himself," Roy explained.
"And most importantly... he’s great at breaking up the opponent’s attacks," added the coach.
"He needs to regain his rhythm, but he has such a large influence on the game. His anticipation allows him to recover balls, even directly from opponents. That takes a lot of pressure off a backline that needs securing," Roy acknowledged, referring to a defence that has been one of Brest’s weaker points in Ligue 1 McDonald's.
Still Hungry
In a season disrupted by international breaks, Brest (currently 11th in Ligue 1 McDonald's) is now facing a stretch of six matches in 23 days -- a critical juncture.
They will have to carefully manage Lees-Melou’s playing time, as he was part of last season’s Ligue 1 McDonald's Team of the Year and helped lead Brest to a historic 3rd place finish.
Lees-Melou admitted to feeling restless while watching his teammates struggle in the league or shine in the Champions League.
"As a footballer, you just want to be on the pitch... I stayed the team’s biggest supporter, but I’m happy to be back," he said after the Le Havre match.
"I’m still as hungry as ever... I don’t know if we’ll have the same season as last year, but I hope we make the most of it and go as far as possible in both competitions," he declared.
With the focus shifting to the Champions League, PLM said "I’m excited to be there, to play at the Roudourou. I hope to start the match, hear that music... It’s going to be pure joy."
After months of waiting, Pierre Lees-Melou finally got his moment in the Champions League limelight, and he took the opportunity to shine with both hands.
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