Brest’s Cinderella story continues despite home defeat to Barcelona | European club football

WAlthough they were humbled by an attack-minded Monaco at the Stade Louis II on Friday night, as Brest prepare to face Barcelona (Bayer Leverkusen notwithstanding) in the first ‘big test’ of their debut Champions League campaign, it’s worth reflecting on The Bretons’ progress so far and a look at how Tuesday’s game could unfold given the unfortunate injury news for Éric Roy’s side.

Despite playing bravely against a Monaco team that has been impressive this season, Brest lost 3-2 but, more importantly, lost to Pierre Lees-Melou. The experienced midfielder had only recently returned from injury and his positive influence on the team was noticeable in the draw against Leverkusen.

After the game, Roy said that the combination of the result and Lees-Melou’s injury had been “a nightmare evening” and warned that despite their early success in the Champions League (three wins and a draw in the top four Play) could face relegation at the end of the season if they fail to overcome a slump in their domestic form that has seen them lose their last three games.

However, before Roy and his players return to Ligue 1 next weekend against a similarly struggling Strasbourg, they face a Barcelona side that is, if not the juggernaut of Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi, at least a team Those who make it have shown more cohesion and danger this season than in previous seasons. With Robert Lewandowski turning back the years, Lamine Yamal (ruled out of this game) cementing his claim as the world’s most talented teenager and Raphinha proving a viable starting point, they are a strong team for the future with an opening night is coming off defeat in Monaco by scoring 14 goals in wins over Young Boys, Bayern Munich and Red Star Belgrade.

Admittedly, the enthusiasm is over La BlaugranaBarcelona’s strong start was tempered by a home loss to Real Sociedad and Saturday’s draw against struggling Celta Vigo. But they are still a very strong team who will no doubt be looking to put an end to Brest’s Cinderella tale.

However, as the first four games have shown, it would be foolish to leave Roy’s side out, even though Lees-Melou is unlikely to return in the calendar year. While the 31-year-old’s metronomic passing and assured presence in midfield will be missing, Roy will regain other key elements of his team, including crafty defender Massadio Haïdara, a clever new signing from Lens who arrived on a free transfer, as well as center-back Soumaïla Coulibaly and Romain Del Castillo, a player who was the team’s top scorer last year but has struggled with form and injuries this year.

Not that these absences have intimidated the team’s attitude. Speaking to L’Équipe, veteran midfielder Jonas Martin insisted that this – an evening in Barcelona, ​​although not at the Camp Nou – is something unlike teams like Sparta Prague and Sturm Graz, who have sent them into Europe without any problems Something special has been eagerly awaited since the draw in August.

Speaking about Tuesday’s game (and an upcoming clash with Real Madrid in January), Martin, 34, insisted this should not be a game won by talent, but by passion and passion, something that the team under Roy has clearly demonstrated.

“We are a bit crazy on the pitch, you just have to see us in training, you can only complain because we are competitors, we hate defeats.” We managed to combine the work, intensity, character and talent of some unite. “Coach often says we are Pirates and we show it on the field,” Martin said.

This madness, a kind of controlled chaos, if not in the tactical sense, then at least in the spirit – that was even reflected in Roy himself on Friday, when the coach was sent off after a collision between Ludovic Ajorque and Monaco’s Soungoutou Magassa because he had thrown his hat. Of course, Roy’s (understandable) disappointment with the domestic results is palpable, but the feeling of playing on the proverbial sidelines has served his side well in Europe, allowing them to exceed expectations, even if they failed in the league due to the Are frustrated by a lack of consistent new arrivals.

It wasn’t just Roy’s fiery nature that helped, but also the balance he brings with him. Despite the frustration of losing both Lees-Melou and Friday’s game, he was able to joke about the Champions League, saying of Barcelona: “We’re going to play against a small team; We will try not to develop a superiority complex.”

That balance of passion and lightness has served Roy well, despite the team losing a number of key players over the summer and the promising Bradley Locko suffering a long-term injury. While there is certainly frustration at the team’s domestic struggles, looking at their last four European games there are plenty of reasons to expect more from this enterprising team.

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Don’t look now, but Franck Haise is exaggerating again. Although his Nice side are missing up to half a dozen key players due to injury, Les Aiglons extended its eight-game unbeaten streak against Strasbourg with a 2-1 win on Sunday evening. Admittedly, Liam Rosenior’s young side had their own failures, but the advantage flattered the visitors, who struggled to get control of the game, despite Nice surprisingly switching to a back four in the 11th hour. Although the team has not yet fully established itself in Europe, Haise’s commitment to attacking football – consistently demonstrated during his time at the helm of Lens – appears to be giving renewed vigor to another team in the table.

What a season Hamed Junior Traorè is having. We’ve reported on Christophe Pélissier’s ability to see his side defy the odds ahead of the international window, and while the coach should rightly take credit for the team’s overall performance, Traorè continues to be a revelation for Auxerre. The Bournemouth loanee has now scored six goals in his last eight games after scoring a dramatic late winner against Angers on Sunday. Admittedly, if Auxerre have serious ambitions of playing in Europe they should beat Angers more skillfully, but the result will certainly be welcome after an all-too-brief stay in the top flight last time out.

And finally: Will things get worse for Stade Rennais before they get better? The Bretons tried to reverse their slide this season by bringing in Jorge Sampaoli, but the veteran coach’s influence appears to have made little difference based on the evidence against Lille. Despite Les Dogues Rennes rested several key players (Angel Gomes, Thomas Meunier) and only managed a single shot on goal. There are still more winnable games against teams like Nantes and Angers, but these are derby games where you can hardly rely on easy points-scoring opportunities.