Vietnam
Thailand
UEFA Champions League - Paris Saint Germain (PSG) VS Stade Brestois Prediction
UEFA Champions League - Paris Saint Germain (PSG) VS Stade Brestois
Match Time:20-02-2025 04:00 Thursday (GMT+8)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips
------------------------
Paris Saint Germain (PSG)
PSG supporters may find themselves more concerned about rumors suggesting that Qatari authorities could halt funding for the club in light of allegations against president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, rather than the outcome of this match. The 3-0 scoreline achieved at "Ruduro" casts little doubt on the victor of this two-legged tie. Vitinha scored from the penalty spot early in the first half, followed by a brace from Dembélé, who netted once in each half. With these goals, Ousmane has now scored seven goals against Bizot this season, more than any other opponent he has faced. Overall, the Frenchman has been in phenomenal form, boasting 18 goals in his last twelve matches. Even Luis Enrique cannot fully explain this transformation of a player who previously faced disciplinary issues and had disputes with the head coach, who often left him out of the lineup. Employing Dembélé as a false nine has evidently played a crucial role.
During the weekend, Enrique rested his attacking leader, and Dembélé, who came on as a substitute for the last half-hour, failed to add to his tally in the goal-scoring race—he currently leads Ligue 1 with 16 goals. Thus, in the away match against Toulouse, the Parisians managed just a single goal, scored by Fabián Ruiz. This victory extended PSG’s unbeaten run across all competitions to 18 matches, with only four draws in regular time. Out of the last 16 matches, PSG has emerged victorious in 15, with only Reims able to withstand the might of the Parisians, while Lens succumbed in a penalty shootout in the cup. Consistently in Ligue 1, PSG remains unbeaten, with only five draws, and the 10-point gap to their closest competitor in the table underscores their dominance in Ligue 1.
Besides seeking to please their fans, PSG can also draw motivation for victory from statistical milestones. If the Parisians win against Brest once more, it would mark the first instance since the 2017/18 season where PSG triumphed over one team four times in a single season, previously achieved against Monaco. In this campaign, the Parisians defeated Rua's side 3-1 at home and 5-2 away, with the latter having taken place earlier in February before the Champions League fixtures. Speaking of their overall rivalry with Brest, PSG stands on the brink of breaking the national record for the length of an unbeaten streak. The current record belongs to Monaco against Montpellier, where the Monegasques went 34 matches without defeat from 1995 to 2018. PSG has not lost to Brest since 1985, boasting 31 undefeated matches. The Parisians have dominated this matchup so thoroughly that Brest has managed to draw only once in the last 19 encounters. This draw occurred at the "Parc des Princes" in January last year—2-2.
Brest
Brest's head coach Rua reflected on the defeat against PSG in the first leg: "We always finish our matches against PSG with a sense of regret. The first goal was unfortunate, and then we had a chance to recover in the first half. I have nothing to blame my team for in terms of attitude and willingness to propose something. Unfortunately, we lacked pragmatism in attack and defense. Without that, you cannot competently oppose a great team like PSG, which I believe is currently in its best form." The Pirates' coach has little hope before the return leg, admitting that scoring four at the "Parc des Princes" will be as challenging as keeping a clean sheet. No team has managed to do so this season while visiting PSG.
Nevertheless, Brest can undoubtedly credit this season as a success. Their first campaign not only in the Champions League but in European competitions overall has been fruitful. While a favorable schedule did assist the Pirates to some extent, Rua's troops made the most of it, earning ten points in their first four rounds against Sturm, Salzburg, Sparta, and Bayer. However, a noticeable gap emerged between Brest and the experienced Champions League teams, with the French side suffering 0-3 losses to both Barcelona and Real Madrid, and a 0-2 defeat to Shakhtar. It's worth noting that the Pirates had to play away from their home stadium, which does not meet UEFA standards, at "Ruduro" in Guingamp, but it was there that they secured a crucial victory over PSV—1:0—to advance to the round of 16.
Unless a miracle occurs, the match at "Parc des Princes" will conclude Brest's first European campaign, but currently, they are fighting in the league for an immediate return to European competition next season. At present, a top-four finish seems unlikely as they are eight points adrift, but qualification for the Europa League or the Conference League remains plausible—just four points off the top six. The gap could have been smaller, but over the weekend, the Pirates failed to conquer Auxerre at home, having to come from behind twice. However, apart from the loss to PSG (2-5) and this draw, Rua's players have claimed four victories this past month, thus maintaining hope that the 2024/25 season will not be their only European campaign for the coming years.
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Vitinha, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz; Doue, Dembele, Barcola
Brest possible starting lineup:
Bizot; Zogbe, Chardonnet, Coulibaly, Pereira Lage; Lees-Melou, Magnetti, Doumbia; Faivre, Ajorque, Mama Balde
PSG vs Brest Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
The two teams have crossed paths 43 times in all competitions. As expected, the hosts have been the dominant side in these meetings with 27 wins. Les Pirates have got the better of the capital club four times and 12 games have ended in draws.
The visitors have won their last three away games, scoring five goals while keeping two clean sheets.
Les Parisiens have suffered one loss at home across all competitions this season, with that loss coming against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League in November.
Brest have lost their last three games in the Champions League, conceding eight goals without scoring.
Paris Saint-Germain are unbeaten across all competitions since November, recording 15 wins.
The hosts are on a 31-game unbeaten streak against Les Pirates.
Les Parisiens have won their last four games in the Champions League, scoring 14 goals while keeping two clean sheets.
Prediction: Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 Brest
The first-leg scoreline has already killed this tie off, but Enrique will not be taking any chances with squad selection, based on his rotation at the weekend, so PSG will be determined to get the job done as soon as possible here. For Brest, last week's result was a real blow to their confidence, and knowing no club has ever turned a tie around after a three-goal home defeat suggests their focus may already be on Strasbourg, with a respectable display all that is expected of them in this fixture.
From:Preview
The Most Popular
-
11th Mar. UEFA Champions League---Bayer Leverkusen VS Arsenal Prediction -
11th Mar. UEFA Champions League---Real Madrid VS Manchester City Prediction -
Champions League Preview: Real Madrid and Manchester City Renew European Rivalry at the Bernabéu -
Midtjylland Set to Edge Past Nottingham Forest in Europa League Thriller -
Celta Vigo vs Lyon: Europa League Round of 16 Set for Tight Clash -
11th Mar. Indonesia Super League---PSIM Yogyakarta VS Persijap Jepara Prediction
Telegram
Facebook
X