UCL Preview: Brest Experience First European Night vs. Sturm Graz

Stade Brestois will begin their UEFA Champions League on Thursday when they welcome SK Sturm Graz to the Stade de Roudourou for the Matchday 1 contest.

Even though Brest are the host for this match, they won't be playing at their home ground, Stade Francis-Le Blé. Instead, Stade Brestois will use the stadium of Ligue 2 side En Avant Guingamp.

Brest head into this matchup off a slow start in Ligue 1 as Éric Roy and his team have one win in four league matches, with the three other results being losses. With this slow start, Les Pirates could use positive momentum with a win in their first-ever European competition match in their history.

While it’s uncharted territory for the French side, Roy stated at his press conference on Wednesday that they have earned the right to be in Europe’s top club competition.

"It's clear that being here is something really special for us, completely unexpected and beyond anything we could have imagined. But like I always say, we've earned it. Now, we need to make the most of it and show we're up to the challenge without feeling too much pressure because we’ve got everything to gain in this competition."

If the home side want to secure a victory, they'll need to count on their two star players, midfielder Mahdi Camara and right winger Romain Del Castillo. Both players have scored two goals each and have been the bright side for Brest in this challenging start.

The Ligue 1 side will also be counting on starting goalkeeper Marco Bizot to make key saves in this game. Bizot has played all four league matches for Brest and has recorded one clean sheet so far this campaign.

As for Sturm Graz, the Brest backline will need to be on the lookout for Mika Biereth, who has made seven total appearances for the Austrian side, where he's scored four goals. The 21-year-old has his scoring boots on so far this campaign and will look to continue this form on the road against the Ligue 1 side.

Midfielder Tomi Horvat is the other player the home side will need to be wary of while out on the pitch. The 25-year-old has made seven total appearances while scoring three goals and registering two assists for the Blackies.

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