2 Brest vs 1 Sturm Graz
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| Bet | Brest |
| Stake | 0.75 unit |
| Odds | 2.18 |
| Bookmaker | 1xbet |
Brest makes UCL debut against Sturm Graz.
The UEFA Champions League clash between Stade Brestois and Sturm Graz on September 19 at Stade de Roudourou promises to be a historic night as Brest makes their European debut against a rejuvenated Sturm Graz that's eager to overcome their poor away record.
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, winning the league and securing their place in the UCL for the first time since 2001-02. 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 be replicated to avoid such a start this time. Christian Ilzer's side are currently top of the Austrian league with 12 points despite playing one game fewer than most of the teams below them.
Since losing their opening league game against Rapid Wien, the visitors have won their last five competitive games across all competitions [WWWWW]. However, the Austrian side are poor travellers on European turf, having won just two of their last 13 away European matches [2W, 3D, 8L] and five of the last 32 [5W, 10D, 17L].
A 4—1—2—1—2 formation with Amady Camara and Mika Biereth in attack is expected.
Team form
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Team Comparison
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