Brest vs Real Madrid: Match preview

Real Madrid travel to Guingamp located in northwestern France to take on Brest (also known as Stade Brestois) in the final round of group stage fixtures in the UEFA Champions League.

Carlo Ancelotti’s team will be without the services of Vinicius Junior who was suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

Moreover, the Italian manager has hinted that David Alaba can receive a start in tonight’s match and if not tonight, then in the next match for sure.

This would mean Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde will return to the midfield after playing in makeshift roles in the defence.

Antonio Rüdiger is almost certain to start so it will be interesting to see whether he will be partnered up with the experienced David Alaba or the young and hungry, Raul Asencio.

Since the FC Barcelona loss earlier this month, Los Blancos have looked a complete different side, scoring 17 goals and conceding just 4 in the 4 games that followed.

The increase in that goal tally can arguably be due to Kylian Mbappe’s return to form, Rodrygo’s consistency and handy contributions from Vinicius and the rest of the midfield as well.

Mbappe will come up against a familiar foe, having scored 9 goals in 10 games against tonight’s opponents.

Vinicius’ presence will be missed on the pitch since he is Madrid’s leading goal scorer in this competition but Ancelotti would not have to worry much due to the team’s recent goalscoring form.

Brest on the other hand, have been the new entrants in the Champions League and have taken everyone by surprise.

Sitting at 13th in table, the French side look in contention to qualify for the playoffs at least, and can even enter the top 8 with a win at home tonight.

Meanwhile in Ligue 1, Brest sit on 8th with 9 wins out of 19. They play a rather brave and fearless brand of football, which is evident from the fact that the French side have only 1 draw each in the UCL and league. This shows that the club either goes all out to win or just crumbles badly when they are defeated.

Brest’s leading goal scorer this season has been Ludovic Ajorque. The 30-year old striker has scored 8 times and recorded 3 assists in 25 matches.

Right winger Abdallah Sima has scored 7 goals and has 2 assists in 22 matches. There have also been useful contributions from Mahdi Camara and Hugo Magnetti in midfield.

Defensively, the team is decent and can hold its ground, having conceded 8 goals in 7 games in the UCL.

Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged that the 13 points Brest have picked are not a fluke and have a striker who’s good in the air and pacy wingers.

Thibaut Courtois shared a similar thought, commenting how Brest have caused upsets this season, are physical, and that Real Madrid are well prepared.

The final round of group stages matches all have the same kickoff time and like other matches, the stakes are high for this fixture too.

The best possible result for Real Madrid would be a win tonight, and hope that other results go their way. But one thing is for sure – the French side will not make that task easy for the Vikings.