Stade Reims vs Stade Brest Prediction: Two In-form Teams Collide as Reims Look to Solidify Their Position Against a Resurgent Brest.

Stade Reims welcome Stade Brest in a very exciting Ligue 1 encounter at Stade Auguste-Delaune on Saturday, October 26, 2024. The home team currently sits 6th in the standings and has flashed moments of brilliance, with some defensive frailties over recent weeks. Brest comes 11th in the standings, gaining momentum in their last five outings, showing grit both in Ligue 1 and in Europe. Both teams are in the hunt for valuable points that might improve their current positions, with Reims trying to cement a possible European qualification spot and Brest striving to move into the top half of the table. This will be a tactical game of chess between two vastly experienced coaches with contrasting philosophies.

Reims enter this match off the back of a narrow 2-1 defeat to Auxerre, in a match where their goalkeeper, Yehvann Diouf, was the shining light with six saves in that match, which included saving a penalty. Though the match ended in a defeat, Reims have shown a tendency to create solid attacking opportunities and control possession, even though their defense has been rather leaky, conceding 10 goals in their last seven matches.

Under Luka Elsner, Reims have shaped up in a fluid 4-2-3-1 formation as they look to dominate possession and rely on width for creativity. Overlapping full-backs and wingers have been highly relied on to stretch the opposition's backline, while a number 10 organizes the attack. However, Reims' tactical openness at the back, especially when committing players forward, has left them vulnerable to quick counterattacks. Given Brest's fine form of late, Reims will most likely attempt to buckle down defensively while still maintaining their high press and possession-based approach. What is pivotal to their success will be converting that possession into clear scoring chances, which they struggled to do in the loss against Auxerre.

On the contrary, Brest come into this game on a four-match unbeaten streak. They drew 1-1 against Bayer Leverkusen in the last match of Champions League; however, they had few clear-cut opportunities and at least their defence is slowly getting into shape - having let in just three goals in the last three league matches. Brest will need to find a better balance between defense and offense if they are to be able to take points from the accomplished Reims side.

For Eric Roy, Brest usually line up in a tight 4-3-3 shape, tight at the back and looking to release through counter-attacks as quickly as possible. Against more powerful sides, Brest has shown readiness to let their opponents hold pressure, which they did against Leverkusen, while trying to hit them with long passes and quick transitions. Though the Brest midfielders have fared relatively well in terms of disrupting the opposition's build-up, the lack of creativity in the final third is still an issue. They are likely to be more cautious in this game, trying to sit deep and hit Reims on the counter, finding spaces behind the attacking full-backs of Reims.

Traditionally, the record between these two teams is a close one. Overall, over their last 18 matches, Brest won six times, Reims three, with nine draws showing just how closely matched these encounters have been. In recent matches, there really has not been much to separate these teams, with their games being quite low-scoring. Indeed, in six of the last seven meetings, less than 2.5 goals had been scored. This was further reiterated by their last outing in May 2024, which ended all square at 1-1. Besides, Brest are unbeaten in their last six outings with Reims-an advantage that they will be hoping to carry with them psychologically into this match.

Reims have been doing relatively well with three wins in their last five league outings, but they come into this match off a loss to Auxerre where defensive lapses were noticeable. Brest, however, are coming off four straight matches unbeaten across all competitions, including one stern draw in the Champions League. That means Brest's defense will prove a stubborn block for Reims, which has struggled lately to break down organized defenses.

The goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf will be very instrumental, especially after some of his heroics in the post lately. Up front, creative influence from their playmaker is necessary if they are ever going to break defensive lines in Brest. Brest again will bank on their captain and central defender Brendan Chardonnet to marshal their back and hold Reims' surges. If Brest is to be a real threat, more will be needed from their forwards, who have been silent in recent games.

• 3 Way Total Under 3 Goals @ 2.044 Odds
• Both Teams to Score (yes) @ 1.67 Odds
• Draw FT @ 3.50 Odds