Ligue 1 | Gameweek 28

Apr 5, 2025 at 6pm UK

Stade Francis-Le Ble

Brest vs Monaco

Match preview

With Ligue 1 failing to secure one of the two extra Champions League places, only the top seven will qualify for next season's continental showpiece, assuming Paris Saint-Germain win the Coupe de France.

Brest currently sit eighth, five points behind Lyon with just seven games remaining, so Eric Roy's men have a tough task ahead of them.

That is despite a recent run of good form that has kept their hopes alive, especially after last week's entertaining 4-2 win at Toulouse, which saw them take seven points from their last three games.

The win lifted Brest above Lens in the table, but if they are to challenge Lyon and the rest of the top seven, they will need to improve dramatically at home in the final few games of the season.

Roy's side have won just one of their last seven games at the Stade Francis-Le Ble, a somewhat surprising dip in form after winning five in a row on home soil.

Despite their Champions League exploits, Brest's domestic fortunes have not been kind, with the Pirates having lost all six of their games against top-five clubs so far this season, conceding 20 goals in the process.

The hosts also have a particularly poor record against Monaco, having lost six in a row - the club's longest run of consecutive defeats against any team.

Twenty defeats in 32 Ligue 1 meetings with Monaco is the worst record against any club in the top flight, and Brest added to their misery in the reverse fixture, losing 3-2 at the Stade Louis II.

Monaco will also be brimming with confidence after a hugely important 2-1 win over fellow top-four rivals Nice last week, with Breel Embolo putting a difficult season behind him to score the winner.

The come-from-behind win lifted Adi Hutter's side into second place after Marseille's defeat at Reims, and Monaco are now three points clear of fourth-placed Nice in the non-automatic Champions League qualifying places.

The visitors have hit form at the perfect time, taking 10 points from their last four games, and it has been their in-form attack that has been the driving force, with Monaco scoring 19 goals in their last seven games in all competitions.

Embolo's winner also prevented PSG from sealing the title last weekend, but Monaco are a whopping 21 points behind the leaders with just 21 points to play for, the second-biggest gap between first and second at this stage of a Ligue 1 season after Monaco finished 24 points behind PSG in 2015-16.

Even if PSG slip up at home to Angers, their chances of winning the title this weekend will be boosted by the fact that Monaco have won just one of their nine away games in 2025, and that was against an out-of-form Angers side.

Recent Performance

Brest Ligue 1 form:DDLWDW

Brest form (all competitions):DLLWDW

Monaco Ligue 1 form:WLWDWW

Monaco form (all competitions):DLWDWW

Team News

Brest will have Hugo Magnetti and Massadio Haidara available again after suspension, but Roy's injury list remains long.

Ibrahim Salah and Soumaila Coulibaly are the latest additions to an injury list that already includes key defenders Brendan Chardonnet and Jordan Amavi, as well as Jonas Martin, who has missed much of the last few months.

Monaco finally welcomed back Folarin Balogun after a recurrence of a shoulder injury kept him out for longer than originally expected.

Balogun was only a substitute, though, as Hutter sacrificed Eliesse Ben Seghir to play two up front, with Embolo partnering the in-form Mika Biereth, and both got on the scoresheet.

Vanderson was on the bench after a late return from Brazil last week, while Kassoum Ouattara, Soungoutou Magassa and Jordan Teze are currently on the treatment table.

Possible starting lineup

Brest possible starting lineup:

Bizot; Lala, Le Cardinal, Ndiaye, Zogbe; Pereira Lage, Lees-Melou, Camara, Magnetti, Doumbia; Ajorque

Monaco possible starting lineup:

Kohn; Vanderson, Singo, Kehrer, Caio Henrique; Akliouche, Zakaria, Camara, Ben Seghir; Embolo, Biereth