Fighting to keep their dreams of European football alive in Ligue 1, in-form Brest will welcome Lens to Stade Francis-Le Ble on Sunday.

Les Pirates will be looking to extend their unbeaten league run to six matches this weekend, while Les Sang et Or will be hoping to bounce back from defeat last time out.

Match preview

After winning three and drawing two of their last five games, Eric Roy's Brest are in with an outside chance of making the top six with five games left to play in the top flight.

That being said, Les Pirates will be disappointed to have dropped two points in a 3-3 draw against relegation-threatened Saint-Etienne last Sunday, especially considering that Ludovic Ajorque gave them the lead with just six minutes on the clock and that they had the advantage with 10 minutes to go.

That stalemate left Roy's side eighth in the table with 44 points, six fewer than sixth-placed Strasbourg and fifth-placed Lille, but given that only nine points separate second and eighth in Ligue 1, there remains potential for the European spots to change hands even in the season's closing stages.

Desperate to add to their tally this weekend, the hosts will draw confidence from the fact that they have lost just one league game at Stade Francis-Le Ble since early November, and they will hope to repeat their impressive 2-1 home win over high-flying Monaco from earlier this month.

Should Brest seize a vital three points on Sunday, then they could find themselves three points behind Strasbourg in the race for UEFA competition next term, but defeat would likely spell the end of their continental hopes.

Meanwhile, having lost six of their nine games since January - winning the other three - Will Still's Lens are all but out of contention for the European places as the campaign draws to a close.

Last time out, Les Sang et Or were beaten 2-0 on their own turf by relegation-battling Reims, though it could be argued that they were unlucky given that Keito Nakamura's brace either side of half time came from their opponents' only shots on target in the entire clash.

On the other hand, Still's men had 37 shots in total and 14 on target, and it would be fair to say that Lens were wasteful with their own chances and only have themselves to blame for now being ninth in the table, eight points off the top six.

As they look to make amends to their fans, this weekend's visitors will have to defy their poor away record of three defeats from their last four on the road if they are to walk away with their heads held high, but the chance to end their rivals' hopes of qualifying for Europe could be a motivator.

If Lens are able to earn just their second victory away from Stade Bollaert-Delelis in three months on Sunday, then they could go into matchday 31 in eighth place, with three points enough to leapfrog Brest.

Team News

Brest will be without the crucial duo of right-back Kenny Lala and goalkeeper Marco Bizot, both of whom are suspended for accumulating yellow cards.

In their absence, Luc Zogbe should join a backline featuring Brendan Chardonnet, Abdoulaye Ndiaye and Massado Haidara, while Gregoire Cudert deputises between the sticks.

More positively, left-back Bradley Locko is nearing a return to action after missing the entire domestic season so far, and though left-winger Justin Bourgault will miss out on Sunday, he could be back next week.

As for Lens, they will have to contend with a lengthy list of absentees this weekend, including centre-backs Abdulay Juma Bah and Facundo Medina, who are dealing with injury and suspension respectively.

In their place, Still may have to turn to 17-year-old Kyllian Antonio and Malang Sarr to make up his back three alongside Jonathan Gradit, while Angelo Fulgini should come in for left wing-back Deiver Machado.

On the other hand, midfielder Neil El Aynaoui could come back into the XI and join Adrien Thomasson in the centre of the park.

Brest possible starting lineup:

Cudert; Zogbe, Chardonnet, Ndiaye, Haidara; Melou, Magnetti; Lage, Camara, Sima; Ajorque

Lens possible starting lineup:

Ryan; Gradit, Sarr, Antonio; Pouilly, El Aynaoui, Thomasson, Fulgini; Sotoca, Koyalipou, Zaroury