Analysis: Abdallah Sima, Brest's Champions League specialist

Stade Brestois have made a great start to life in the Champions League, thanks in part to their deadly attacker on loan from Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.

With two wins under their belt, Éric Roy's buccaneering Pirates have certainly succesfully set sail on Brest's maiden Champions League voyage - plundering Austrian pair Sturm Graz (2-1) and Red Bull Salzburg (0-4). Much of their positive momentum on the European stage has been the product of two great performances by on loan Brighton & Hove Albion striker Abdallah Sima, who scored his first goal for Brest against Sturm Graz, before recording a brace during Brest's hugely successful away trip to Salzburg. In doing so he became the first player from a French side to score in each of his first two Champions League matches since Marquinhos did so with Paris Saint-Germain in 2013.

From Slavia Prague to Brighton

Sima is one of very few players in Eric Roy's squad that has previously tasted European competition. In July 2020, Slavia Prague announced the signing of Sima following stints at French club Thonan Évian and a six-month stint at fellow Czech club Táborsko where he scored a brace against the Bohemian club's reserve team.

Whilst he was initially going to play for Slavia's reserve side, he would quickly rise through the ranks and find a spot in the first team. His first goal for the club came in the UEFA Europa League against OGC Nice (3-2) before going on to make nine appearances and scoring another goal in the competition. Overall, the Senegal-born striker went on to score 11 goals in 24 appearances for the club before catching the eye of Premier League outfit Brighton & Hove Albion.

Sima's loan odyssey

As with many talented young players that join the club after being scouted extensively using the Seagulls' data-based approach, Sima was sent out on loan to EFL Championship side Stoke City, before making his Ligue 1 debut in the 2022-2023 season at Angers SCO in his second loan spell. He managed to perform well with Les Angevins with five goals in 15 appearances in France - despite a season of struggle off and on the pitch for the club which ended up finishing bottom of the league.

It was enough to prompt Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers to court his services in a third loan spell for the Senegal international attacker. Once more, he would experience the European stage - this time hitting the back of the net for the Scottish giants 11 times in the league and four times in European competition (Champions League play-offs and UEFA Europa League). Sima helped Rangers to the round of 16 of the UEL, where the Gers were then knocked out by Benfica (2-3 on aggregate).

Settling in with Les Pirates

Following his positive experience in Scotland, a fourth loan spell would see Sima shipped to Stade Brestois. He hasn't scored yet in Ligue 1, but Sima has become Les Ti'zef's go-to man in Europe for goals and attacking inspiration. Playing as a wide attacking midfielder to the left of a physically imposing target man in Ludovic Ajorque, he's been able to show his ability to drive with the ball at feet and pose a physical problem for defenders in wide areas.

He was particularly effective in this role during Brest's first Ligue 1 win of the season against Saint-Étienne (4-0), but has been in Europe where he has added a deadly finishing touch. His finish against Sturm Graz was one that relied on physicality, holding off an Austrian defender and acrobatically slotting home. His next two goals required quick wits against Salzberg, where he ran over 67m to reach Ludovic Ajorque's looped through ball for his first and then react quickly to poke home his second effort.

Sima has shown some impressive form already for Brest in Europe, but he'll be needed to bolster Brest's domestic form as well, with Les Pirates currently sitting 11th in Ligue 1 just before the October international break.

READ MORE: 

>>Where does Brest's strong UCL start sit in the history of Ligue 1 clubs?

>>French Clubs' Champions League Debuts: From Auxerre to Stade Brestois