Lens in search of consecutive Ligue 1 victories as Brest visits.
Lens vs
Brest
On Sunday, August 25, at 14:00 [GMT+1], RC Lens aim to continue their winning start to the Ligue 1 campaign for the first time since 2001–02 as they host Brest at Stade Bollaert-Delelis, with both teams eager to make early statements in the season.
Lens
Ten-man Lens defeated Panathinaikos 2-1 in the first leg of their Europa Conference League playoff on Thursday. Facundo Medina was sent off in between goals from Przemysław Frankowski and Wesley Saïd, but the Blood and Gold held on for the win despite conceding a second-half goal.
Back in Ligue 1, William Still's men kicked off the new season with a 1-0 victory over Angers. Still took over the Lens managerial role in June after former manager Franck Haise made the switch to Nice.
The 31-year-old will be hoping to make it three wins in as many competitive matches when the team takes on Brest in their first L1 home game of the campaign. A victory on Sunday would see the hosts win their opening two games of a Ligue 1 campaign for the first time since 2001–02, when they won the first four games.
Lens also have the opportunity to win two consecutive top-flight games against the visitors for the first time since 1986. However, the Blood and Gold picked up only a 44% winning rate in 2024, compared to a league-high 74% in 2023.
Additionally, the home side lost to Brest on Match Day 1 last season, which is their only defeat in 12 games against Brittany clubs since the start of the 2022–23 season. Saïd has scored in the last two matches across all competitions and is expected to start alongside Florian Sotoca in attack when the hosts line up a 3-4-1-2 against Brest.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Cabot and Neil El Aynaoui will miss the game with knee injuries.
Brest
Brest kicked off the new Ligue 1 season with an embarrassing 5-1 defeat at home against Marseille, conceding more goals than any other side in the opening round. Currently, they sit at the bottom of the league on goal difference.
Coach Éric Roy will be eager to see his side bounce back quickly when they take on Lens at Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Sunday. Les Pirates have only conceded more than five goals after two matches in a season once, during the 2020–21 campaign, across their previous 18 top-flight seasons.
They will aim to maintain this record intact after playing against Lens on Matchday 2. Expect a familiar 4—3—3 formation with Romain Del Castillo, Jérémy Le Douaron, and Ludovic Ajorque in attack. However, the club will be without defender Abdoulaye Ndiaye, who is suspended for this clash.
