Brest host PSG in an all-Ligue 1 affair on Tuesday evening as the two sides aim to take a big leap towards the Champions League round of 16.
Eric Roy’s Brest were one of the surprise packages of the league phase, but defeat to Real Madrid on the final matchday saw them slide down to 18th in the table and they were paired with a familiar foe in the play-off round.
Emphatic victories over Manchester City and Stuttgart saw Luis Enrique’s PSG ascend up the league phase table and progress into the next phase of the competition. They’ve purred in 2025 thus far and are well on their way to claiming yet another Ligue 1 title.
Tuesday’s visitors thumped their upcoming opponents 5-2 at the start of the month and are the heavy favourites to advance into the last 16.
Romain Del Castillo’s absence due to a knee injury is a big blow for the hosts, although the 28-year-old Frenchman started just three of Brest’s league phase outings. He’s shone in Ligue 1 but hasn’t yet played a major role on the continental stage.
Bradley Locko is a long-term absentee with an Achilles injury, but the highly-regarded left-back could soon make his long-waited return.
Jordan Amavi and Jonas Martin are also likely to miss out.
Brest predicted lineup vs PSG (4-3-3): Bizot; Lala, Chardonnet, Ndiaye, Haidara; Camara, Lees-Melou, Magnetti; Faivre, Ajorque, Sima.
The visitors are healthy heading into Tuesday’s first leg, with Warren Zaire-Emery the only notable absentee. The versatile young midfielder could be sidelined for the remainder of February with an ankle injury.
Achraf Hakimi was rested at the weekend and is a certainty to come back into the side, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is in contention off the back of scoring his first Ligue 1 goal. The January arrival couldn’t feature for PSG’s final couple of league phase games but has now been added to Enrique’s Champions League squad.
Ousmane Dembele may well be the most in-form operator in Europe right now, and he’ll be leading the visitors’ line on Tuesday.
PSG predicted lineup vs Brest (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz; Barcola, Dembele, Doue.
