Brest vs Sturm Graz
Champions League this season
View moreOutcome Breakdown
| GP | P | GD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 6 | 13 | 4 | |
| 29 | 6 | 3 | -5 |
B29
STU
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|---|---|
| Bet | Brest |
| Stake | 0.75 unit |
| Odds | 2.18 |
| Bookmaker | 1xbet |
Brest makes UCL debut against Sturm Graz.
In a historic UEFA Champions League debut, Stade Brestois look to defy their underdog status and French dominance over Austrian teams as they face an in-form Sturm Graz at Stade de Roudourou.
Brest
Brest will make history when they play their first-ever European fixture against Sturm Graz on Matchday 1 of the revamped UEFA Champions League. The French side secured participation in Europe's premier competition for the first time after finishing third in Ligue 1 last season.
Brest will be the 12th French side to play in the UCL, with only Germany (15) and Spain (14) having featured more clubs in the competition. However, manager Eric Roy will hope that his side can rise to the occasion, given how poorly they have started the new season.
Les Pirates have just one win in four league matches, losing the other three, including a 3-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in their most recent league outing. These results have left Brest in 14th place in Ligue 1, a far cry from the performance they produced last season.
Nevertheless, Roy's side will hope to maintain the winning run that French teams have over Austrian opposition in this competition in what will be the 11th such meeting. All previous 10 such meetings have been won by the home side, with French teams winning by an aggregate of 16-1.
"The fact that we’re the smallest underdogs doesn’t mean that we’re not professional and competitive,” Brest defender Brendan Chardonnet said ahead of Brest’s maiden UCL opener. “Getting here means that we proved we have qualities, and we’re going to prove that again," he added.
A 4—3—3 with Abdallah Sima, Ludovic Ajorque, and Romain Del Castillo in attack is expected for Thursday's clash.
Sturm Graz
Sturm Graz ended Salzburg's dominance in the Austrian top division last season by winning the league. This triumph secured their place in the UCL for the first time since the 2001-02 season. This will be their fourth appearance in the competition, and the visitors have lost their opening match in each of their three previous UCL campaigns.
However, Die Schwoazn will hope their domestic form can help them avoid a similar start this time. Christian Ilzer's side sits atop the Austrian league with 12 points, despite having played one game fewer than most teams below them. Since losing their opening league game against Rapid Wien, the visitors have strung together five consecutive wins across all competitions.
Still, the Austrian side struggles on European soil, having won just two of their last 13 away European matches and five of the last 32. A 4—1—2—1—2 formation is expected, with Amady Camara and Mika Biereth leading the attack.
Team form
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