Brest-Lyon is a Ligue 1 Week 16 match and is played on Wednesday at 21:00: statistics, likely formations, predictions
A year ago, after fifteen Ligue 1 matches, Lyon had scored 21 points, as many as they have now. A statistic that troubles – and not a little – the Gones fans, in light of last season’s disappointing epilogue, with their team out of it all and in total anonymity. If, absurdly, the championship ended today, Lyon, currently eighth in the standings, would be forced to stay another year without Europe.
The arrival of experienced coach Laurent Blanc, who took over in October from the exonerated Peter Bosz, has only partially borne fruit. Two victories in a row against Montpellier and Lille had given the team an illusion, but in the next two matches Lacazette and his team-mates failed two important ‘litmus tests’ against Marseille and Nice, barely picking up a point out of the six available in the double direct clash. The risk at this point is that they will once again fall too far behind their competitors and miss out on participation in the European cups for the second consecutive year. Lyon is eighth, but must already make up six points on sixth-placed Monaco. And in between is Paulo Fonseca’s Lille, five points behind the seven-time French champion club.
Lyon struggle on the road
Above all, Lyon’s away performance was inadequate, with one win and one draw in seven matches. Not much for a team that started out with completely different assumptions and that from the halfway line up can rely on the likes of Lacazette, Toko Ekambi, Aouar, Dembele and Tolisso.
Chardonnet
Blanc and his team start again in Brest, facing a team that before the break had shown signs of recovery after a difficult start. In five games, the ferryman Bruno Grougi brought home seven points, doing considerably better than his predecessor Der Zakarian, who was exonerated after last October’s defeat at Nantes. Brest started from their last, invaluable victory in the salvation clash with Troyes, who were beaten 2-1 in what was the Breton team’s first home win.
The Prediction
Away from home, Lyon have the points average of a team fighting not to be relegated, and the Brest leg could conceal many pitfalls for Blanc’s team. Leaving aside the result, we assume a match that is closer than expected and with at least one goal on each side.
Brest-Lyon matchday squad
- BREST (4-3-3): Bizot; Fadiga, Chardonnet, Brassier, Duverne; Camara, Lees-Melou, Pereira Lage; Del Castillo, Slimani, Honorat.
- LION (3-4-1-2): Lopes; Da Silva, Diomandé, Lukeba; Tetê, Mendes, Caqueret, Kumbedi; Aouar; Lacazette, Dembélé.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1
