Ligue 1 | Gameweek 23

Feb 23, 2025 at 4.15pm UK

Stade de la Meinau

Strasbourg vs Brest

Match preview

Strasbourg have regained momentum after a rough patch that included a league defeat at the hands of Rennes and a Coupe de France quarter-final exit at the hands of Angers, and have bounced back with back-to-back Ligue 1 victories to strengthen their European push.

After a routine 2-0 win over bottom side Montpellier at the Meinau, Le Racing faced a tougher test at Lens but showed resilience to claim another triumph, with late strikes from Dilane Bakwa and Emanuel Emegha in the 81st and 90th minutes securing a hard-fought result.

It was a rare victory for the Alsace outfit, who had managed just two wins in their previous 11 top-flight outings this season, with Le RCS's home form the driving force behind their European ambitions.

Liam Rosenior's men have every reason to be confident heading into this weekend's clash, having made an impressive return to the Meinau, winning each of their last three games there to collect 21 points from a possible 30 - the fourth-best home record in the division.

Victory here would be Strasbourg's longest winning streak in Ligue 1 at this ground since they won four in a row between September and November 2019.

However, Le RCS have an unwelcome record to contend with, having gone winless in their last five meetings with Sunday's visitors, losing the last two - a 3-0 home defeat in February 2024 and a 3-1 reverse fixture defeat in November.

Brest, on the other hand, are coming off their worst defeat of the season, a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in the return leg of their Champions League knockout play-off, which saw them go out 10-0 on aggregate.

Having secured their place in Europe's elite club competition by finishing third in Ligue 1 last season with 61 points - their highest tally and best ever finish - Les Pirates have struggled to match those heights this term, with a mixed bag of results.

Their inconsistency was on display again last weekend, as Brest failed to build on their win at Nantes and were held to a 2-2 draw at home by newly-promoted Auxerre after fighting hard for a point.

Defensive frailties have been a major problem, with 38 goals conceded - the third-highest tally at this stage of a Ligue 1 season - offsetting a 35 goal return, their best in 22 games.

However, their recent away form has been encouraging, with the Pirates winning each of their last three league games away from home, and another win this weekend would equal their longest run of away victories in the competition since August to October 2010.

Recent Performance

Strasbourg Ligue 1 form:WDWLWW

Strasbourg form (all competitions):DWLLWW

Brest Ligue 1 form:WWWLWD

Brest form (all competitions):LWWLDL

Team News

Strasbourg welcome back Ismael Doukoure from suspension to bolster their defence, although they are likely to be without Andrew Omobamidele, who missed their last game through injury.

To add to their problems, key midfielder Andrey Santos is unavailable after accumulating too many yellow cards in 10 games, with Abdoul Ouattara likely to start.

There are also a number of long-term absentees, including Caleb Wiley, Moïse Sahi Dion, Thomas Delaine and Oscar Perea.

Having rested a number of players in midweek's clash with PSG, Brest will go into this game with a largely full and well-rested squad.

With no new injury concerns, long-term absentees Bradley Locko, Jonas Martin, Jordans Amavi and Romain Del Castillo remain on the sidelines.

Possible starting lineup

Strasbourg possible starting lineup:

Petrovic; Doukoure, Doue, Sarr; Barco, Diarra, Ouattara, Moreira; Lemarechal, Emegha, Nanasi

Brest possible starting lineup:

Bizot; Lala, Chardonnet, Coulibaly, Haidara; Magnetti, Lees-Melou, Camara; Faivre, Ajorque, Sima