RB Salzburg welcomes Brest for UCL Match Day 2.
Salzburg vs
Brest
In a historic first encounter, RB Salzburg and Brest face off in the UEFA Champions League at the Red Bull Arena, as both teams seek a vital victory with Salzburg aiming to snap their winless UCL streak and Brest looking to continue their impressive debut with a landmark away win.
Salzburg
Oscar Gloukh’s brace against Austria Wien helped Salzburg secure third place in the Austrian Bundesliga standings with 13 points from four wins, one draw, and one loss. The Red Bulls have won their last two matches across all competitions, and they are eager to recover from their 3-0 away defeat to Sparta Praha as they face Brest on UCL Match Day 2.
Salzburg are currently without a point in the league phase, joining 15 other sides, including giants like Barcelona and AC Milan. This will be their first encounter with Brest in European competition, and only their second opponent in the UCL, following matches against Lille in the 2021-22 group stage.
When hosting French sides in European competitions, Salzburg have won four out of five home games, with their only loss coming against Nice in 2016 during the Europa League group stage. However, they are experiencing their longest winless streak in the UCL, having gone six games without a victory.
For their upcoming match against Brest, Salzburg is expected to field a front three of Adam Daghim, Karim Konaté, and Nene Dorgeles in a 4-3-3 formation. Unfortunately for the team, Maurits Kjærgaard and Fernando will miss the game due to season-ending injuries.
Brest
Meanwhile, Brest [DLWWL] have had a rocky start to the season, having recently suffered a 3-0 defeat against Auxerre on Friday. However, they found success in their opening Champions League match, securing a 2-1 victory over Austrian side Sturm Graz.
Les Pirates are set to play their first-ever away game in European competition. They aim to become the first French team to win their debut away game in the UCL since Auxerre in the 1996-97 season.
A victory on Tuesday would make Éric Roy’s side only the second French team to win both of their opening two games in the UCL, following Strasbourg's footsteps from September-October 1979.
Abdallah Sima, who scored the winning goal on Match Day 1, is expected to lead the attack in a 4—3—3 formation alongside Romain Del Castillo and Ludovic Ajorque. Unfortunately, Bradley Locko [Achilles] and Pierre Lees-Melou [broken leg] will be absent for this clash, with Locko not expected back until February.
