This Sunday, May 10th, Paris Saint-Germain (1st) faces Brest (12th) at the Parc des Princes (kick-off at 9 pm, CET) for Matchday 33 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season. And as before every match, here is a preview of the Parisians’ opponent.
Brest’s situation –
After a nine-year absence, Stade Brestois returned to Ligue 1 in the summer of 2019. They have remained in the top flight ever since, but not without some difficult periods. There was an attempt with coach Michel Der Zakarian, but it didn’t work out, and he was replaced by Eric Roy in January 2023.
Roy, who had been a pundit for several years, managed to secure the team’s survival and keep his job. The 2023-2024 season was one of triumph and euphoria, with a year spent racing to the top of the table to finish third and thus qualify for the Champions League for the first time in its history.
But following up that success proved difficult. There was the immense joy of reaching the Champions League playoffs after a remarkable run, only to have PSG put an end to it. And in Ligue 1, Brest finished in ninth place. Not bad for the club, but less exciting than European qualification.
This season, after a transfer window focused on sales, Brest faced significant difficulties. While they secured their place in Ligue 1 in 12th place, it wasn’t by a large margin. The last few weeks were particularly painful, and Eric Roy opened the door to a departure.
The 2025 Summer Transfer Window –
Source: Transfermarkt
Departures:
Arrivals:
The 2025/2026 Winter Transfer Window –
Source: Transfermarkt
Departures:
Arrivals:
Key Statistics –
This season, Brest has the 12th best attack in Ligue 1 with 41 goals scored (the best, PSG, has 70, and the worst, Angers, has 27), and the 15th best defense with 51 goals conceded (PSG has the best defense with 27 goals conceded, the worst, Metz, has 72).
Brest’s top scorer is Romain Del Castillo (29-year-old winger), with 8 goals, placing him 24th in the league (the top scorer in Ligue 1 is Esteban Lepaul with 19 goals). Ludovic Ajorque (32-year-old forward) is Brest’s top assist provider with 7 assists, placing him 3rd in Ligue 1 (Adrien Thomasson leads with 9 assists).
Brest’s last 5 matches –
Only Brest’s possession is shown, and Brest’s shots are listed first (when data is available).
March 14, 2026 (Ligue 1) – Auxerre (down to 10 men in the 6th minute, 0-0)/Brest: 3-0. Playing a 4-2-3-1 formation. 57% possession. 7 shots, 3 on target, compared to 9 shots (6 on target).
March 21, 2026 (Ligue 1) – Brest/Rennes: 3-4. Playing a 4-2-3-1 formation. 38% possession. 8 shots, 4 on target, compared to 15 shots (7 on target).
April 4, 2026 (Ligue 1) – Nantes (down to 10 men in the 65th minute, 1-0)/Brest: 1-1. Playing a 4-2-3-1 formation. 56% possession. 4 shots, 2 on target, compared to 15 shots (4 on target).
April 19, 2026 (Ligue 1) – Brest/Lens: 3-3. Playing a 4-3-3 formation. 36% possession. 5 shots, 3 on target, compared to 20 shots (7 on target).
May 3, 2026 (Ligue 1) – Paris FC/Brest: 4-0. Playing a 4-1-4-1 formation. 45% possession. 10 shots, 2 on target, compared to 14 shots (8 on target).
The Squad:
Out – Locko, Coulibaly (blessure), Lala (suspension).
The probable starting lineup in a 4-2-3-1 formation:
Ajorque
Mboup – Doumbia – Del Castillo
Magnetti – Chotard
Guindo – Le Guen – Chardonnet – Zobgé
Coudert
Brest’s playing style:
Faced with defensive issues, coach Eric Roy has reverted to a slightly more cautious approach, focusing on solid defense before launching quick counter-attacks. This can involve intense pressing, which can be difficult to break through at times.
Then there’s the fast-paced game, which can be very dangerous. The aim isn’t to maintain possession for long periods. But this team knows how to push forward quickly, particularly with Ajorque, who can drop deep effectively or act as a target man for long balls. We still need to inject some pace and intensity to avoid falling into the trap against a team that might be motivated by this trip to get back on track. But we’ve seen that Brest can also falter at the moment.
