Brest Take on Reims With UCL Qualification in Mind
Brest vs Reims Preview
Reims Let Go of Will Still
If Stade Brestois win their next two Ligue 1 matches, they’ll qualify for the Champions League for the first time in their history. Brest have already sealed European qualification for the first time but they can take it one step further. On Friday, Brest host Reims, who recently let go of coach Will Still. Reims have lost their last three matches and have been free falling down the table recently. In our Brest vs Reims preview and sports betting analysis we’ll check out Friday’s odds and see if Reims can benefit from the new manager bounce.
Brest vs Reims
Date, time:
Location: Stade Francis Le Ble, Brest, France
Head-to-Head
Brest vs Reims previews note that four of the last five meetings between these sides have finished in draws. However, Brest did take down Reims 2-1 last September behind goals from Mahdi Camara and Pierre Lees-Melou. Lees-Melou has scored in each of the last two meetings between the sides. Reims last won in this fixture in 2021.
Lack of Injuries Key for Brest
Neither side could find a breakthrough on Saturday in Brest’s scoreless draw vs. Nantes. The match took place in a torrential downpour and Nantes actually had the better chances. With Lille’s loss to Lyon on Monday, Brest remained in third place, two points ahead of Lille. Eric Roy and Brest and aiming for third, which is the last automatic Champions League qualification spot. Even if they finish in fourth, they’ll enter the UCL in the Third Play-off Round.
While Brest did lose 2-0 to Monaco at the Francis Le Ble a few weeks ago, they’ve only lost two home matches all season. Brest enter this match with an 8-6-2 Ligue 1 home record. No Brest players are Ligue 1 top 10 scorers this season. However, Romain del Castillo is tied for the lead in assists in the Ligue 1 stats. The attacking midfielder has scored eight goals and provided eight assists this season.
A massive part of Brest’s success this season is the fact that their squad has stayed mostly healthy throughout the campaign. Brest have 11 players who have played in at least 30 Ligue 1 matches this season. Currently, defender Lilian Brassier is the only player on the injury report. He could still return from a calf issue for this match. Notably, Brest have scored at least three goals in three of their last five games.
Diawara Takes Over at Reims on Interim Basis
When Will Still took over as Reims coach in the middle of the 2022-23 season, he started off his tenure with a 14 game unbeaten run. His time in France’s Northeast ended with a 4-1 defeat to last-placed Clermont. In that match, Reims conceded two penalties and Thibault De Smet received a straight red card. Earlier in the season, Reims had hope of qualifying for Europe but they’ve lost their last three matches on the Ligue 1 schedule.
They’re also winless in their last five games heading into Friday’s match at Brest. Samba Diawara will step in as interim Reims coach and try to stop the bleeding. Reims enter the weekend in 12th place in Ligue 1 and they’re safe from relegation. They were scheduled to play Marseille last weekend but the match was postponed. The French Football Federation gave Marseille a rest heading into their Europa League Semifinal at Atalanta.
While now-Monaco striker Folarin Balogun scored 21 goals for Reims last season, no Reims player has reached 10 goal contributions this campaign. Reims have scored just four times in their last five games but Keito Nakamura has scored in two of his last three. De Smet is suspended for Reims and Valentin Atangana, Joseph Okumu and Mohammed Daramy could all miss out due to injuries.
Match Analysis & Odds
Often times, the introduction of a new manager means a spike in form. Reims have just three games left to play this season and they’ll want to close out the season strongly. Reims haven’t won on the road since late February but they did manage to draw 2-2 at PSG in late March. Meanwhile, Brest know that two wins will get them into the Champions League and that could be quite the motivating factor.
Our Brest vs Reims preview notes that Brest are -140 favorites for this match, while Reims are +395 underdogs. If Brest draw (+295) and Lille win at Nantes this weekend, Brest will be behind Lille on goal difference. So, this is a must win match for the hosts. Currently, Brest -0.5, -1 comes in at -115 odds, while Reims +0.5, +1 shows the same.
Brest have failed to score in back-to-back home games but we don’t expect that trend to continue. Reims have conceded in 11 of their last 12 games and over 2.5, 3 goals are priced at -115 odds in a highly important match for Brest.
