Champions League: Brest continue strong start with win in Prague
News
In a boiling atmosphere in the Czecch capital of Prague, Stade Brestois extended their unbeaten start to the UEFA Champions League, picking up their third win in four matches, 2-1 against Sparta Prague.
An unlikely scorer
Manager Éric Roy was forced to be creative with his lineup, with left back Bradley Locko a long-term absentee and Abdallah Sima, scorer of three goals in as many matches in Europe, still dealing with a hamstring issue. To replace Sima, Mama Baldé was brought into the eleven, but Roy also made a surprising change in midfield, dropping Hugo Magnetti for Edimilson Fernandes. The Swiss midfielder, signed on loan from Mainz in the summer, has been largely a peripheral figure this season, and even more so with the return of Pierre Lees-Melou, but his inclusion proved to be a stroke of genius for the Bretons.
Both sides started cautiously, playing with low blocks, and clear-cut opportunities were hardly forthcoming for either team. Slowly, though, Brest began to take control of the match, with Ludovic Ajorque leading the line with aplomb. Indeed, it was the burly striker who had a strong chance midway through the first half, but was denied from a tight angle. The opener wasn't long in coming, though, as Fernandes powered the ball in just before the break as the hosts failed to clear a corner.
⌚️| 44' Une volée 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒆 😍#ACSPSB29 0️⃣-1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/mo3PslMale
— Stade Brestois 29 (@SB29) November 6, 2024
Growing in confidence
While Brest may have reached the break with the lead, the match had been rather more even than the scoreline would have indicated, and in the second half, Les Pirates looked to take control of the match. Pressing well and keeping the pitch compact, Roy's tactics were working a charm defensively, while continuing to stretch the opposition on the counter, Kamory Doumbia and Ajorque playing a lovely two-man game.
Indeed, it was these two who would connect for Brest's second goal. With ten minutes to play, Ajorque controlled the ball on the right and clipped it across goal where Doumbia scrambled it in. While it would eventually be given as an own goal, Brest had doubled their lead, giving themselves an insurance goal that was ultimately necessary as the hosts would respond in stoppage time. Now fourth and one of only six unbeaten sides in the competition, Brest will next face FC Barcelona in Europe in three weeks' time, with Ligue 1 McDonald's matches against Montpellier HSC and AS Monaco to come in the intervening fortnight.
Read more:
>> Europa League Preview: Lyon look to get back on track and more
>> Interview: Ligue 1 meets Mahdi Camara
