IBA / NEWS May 1st, 2025 / IBA.Pro Aliaksei Alfiorau will have the opportunity to become IBA Pro light heavyweight World Champion on home soil as he competes in the main event of IBA.Pro 5 in Brest who won a silver medal at the 2021 IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships will be aiming to continue the impressive form from last year when he defeated Artem Ageev of Russia by technical knockout at IBA Champions’ Night in Serpukhov he has a silver medal from the 2024 European Championships too In a bid to end the night in a positive manner for the home crowd he must defeat Lee Ingelrest of Belgium (12-0-1) Russia’s Pavel Silyagin (15-0-1) and Carlos Gongora of Ecuador (22-3) will also be on the main card in the light heavyweight division beating Ulugbek Sobirov of Uzbekistan over 10 rounds in Chelyabinsk to win the IBF Inter-Continental super middleweight title the former IBO World super middleweight champion has a tremendous knockout rate of 17 from 22 wins Alexander Rodionov of Belarus will also be on the main card in the 71kg division Oganesyan has been fighting out of Canada for most of his professional career and has 11 stoppage wins to his name who represented his country at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games meets the undefeated Chapiteau Dimuntu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (4-0) at 92kg Dimuntu will be fighting in Europe as a professional for the first time World bronze medallist Yulia Apanasovich will be hoping for a home win but must defeat Russian veteran Elena Saveleva (9-1) the 2010 World champion and two-time European gold medallist Saveleva last won professionally in May against Halima Vunjabei of Tanzania who has represented his country as an amateur at the World and European Boxing Championships will go six rounds with Namibia’s Immanuel Josef (16-4-1) in the 54kg division April 10th, 2025 / IBA, IBA President March 10th, 2025 / IBA May 5th, 2025 / IBA after the French forward bagged two more in a comfortable win over Brest The match, which marked only the second time two French sides had faced each other in Champions League history, was dominated by a clinical PSG despite Brest also having their chances PSG broke the deadlock after 21 minutes, with Vitinha converting a penalty after Pierre Lees-Melou's handball Brest were very much in the match when Abdallah Sima's header hit the post just after the half-hour mark doubled their lead when Dembele cut inside from the right flank and beat the keeper at his near post with a low strike in the final minute of the first half scoring in his eighth consecutive match for PSG Just after the break, PSG's Désiré Doué was played through and slotted home with ease In the 66th minute, Dembele secured his brace, latching onto a loose ball in the box before sending a shot past Brest keeper Marco Bizot The 27-year-old Dembele has now scored 18 goals in his last 11 matches while PSG are unbeaten against Brest in their last 31 encounters The result leaves Brest with a mountain to climb in the return leg at the Parc des Princes on Feb The match, which marked only the second time two French sides had faced each other in Champions League history, was dominated by a clinical PSG despite Brest also having their chances PSG broke the deadlock after 21 minutes, with Vitinha converting a penalty after Pierre Lees-Melou's handball Brest were very much in the match when Abdallah Sima's header hit the post just after the half-hour mark Just after the break, PSG's Désiré Doué was played through and slotted home with ease In the 66th minute, Dembele secured his brace, latching onto a loose ball in the box before sending a shot past Brest keeper Marco Bizot 2025 at 11:43 AM UTC·1 min readEric Roy’s future with Stade Brestois has been a topic of discussion all season taking the club from a relegation battle to the UEFA Champions League in just the space of just 18 months progressing to the play-off phase before being on the receiving end of a 10-0 hammering of Paris Saint-Germain. Les Brestois’ form in Ligue 1 has been inconsistent they had harboured hopes of a return to Europe Sunday’s defeat to Olympique de Marseille (3-1) put an end to that hope attention has once again turned to Roy’s future with the club His current contract expires at the end of the season and the Frenchman recently revealed that talks over a renewal had resumed Mohamed Toubache-Ter now understands that there is now progress towards a two-year extension That looks to be the tendency with the ball very much in Roy’s court GFFN | Luke Entwistle Reporting by Vincent Daheron; Editing by Ken Ferris and Clare Fallon Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Denis Le Saint is not usually one to get carried away he has built his reputation — in business and in football — upon quiet competence rather than showmanship “It’s exceptional, extraordinary,” he said on French television Le Saint was speaking in late August, just before this season’s Champions League draw in Monaco He had never attended such an event before It is safe to assume the idea had never figured in his wildest dreams when he became president of Stade Brestois 29 in May 2016 Last season’s third-placed finish in Ligue 1 took them into European competition for the first time in their history Le Saint has every reason to feel proud of that achievement Beat reigning European champions Madrid at home tonight and there is a chance Brest will finish in the top eight and progress directly to the round of 16 Look only at the Le Saint era and you might be tempted to assume Brest were sleeping giants Brest only played top-flight football for the first time in 1979 brought to its knees by financial mismanagement and liquidated to pay creditors they operated outside France’s professional leagues when they dropped into regional amateur competition Real Madrid won two Champions Leagues during those years Fecamp — essentially village teams — and Caen’s reserves To go from there to where they are now is not just a fairytale it is entirely logical that Brest would not look much like a Champions League club in 2024-25 as Madrid arrive in their home region of Brittany it is worth reiterating just how big the divide between them is — and the extent to which Brest are punching above their weight Madrid have just been named the richest football club in the world Brest’s annual budget is believed to be around €50m — the fourth smallest in 18-team Ligue 1 Madrid have just renovated their 78,000-seat Bernabeu stadium, at a cost of €1.17billion before interest Brest have been planning a new ground for years but still reside at the 15,000-seater Stade Francis-Le Ble — “a stadium at the end of its life,” in the words of the city’s mayor As the ground does not meet UEFA regulations Brest’s Champions League home games are being played in Guingamp Transfermarkt puts the total value of the Brest squad at €120million The same website estimates Madrid’s is worth over 10 times that Madrid’s main shirt sponsor is a Middle Eastern airline On paper, tonight should be a walkover. Brest, though, have bloodied the noses of bigger clubs — drawing with German champions Bayer Leverkusen beating Dutch title holders PSV — in this competition They will not simply roll over for their illustrious visitors “The team carries the image of the indomitable Breton, the little guy who beats the big guy, like in (comic book) Asterix,” says Adrian Prigent, who covers the club for local newspaper Le Telegramme. “The whole of France has taken a shine to them They have shown you can still win without money.” It is not hard to understand why Le Saint — who runs a successful vegetable distribution business with his brother — is a beloved figure Brest’s wilderness years were in the rear-view mirror by the time he took over but they were still yo-yoing between Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 many football club owners try to establish a foothold by investing heavily in players “His main desire wasn’t to bring in big stars, but to improve the day-to-day life and comfort of the players here,” Bruno Grougi, who played for Brest between 2009 and 2018, recently told So Foot magazine Brest always used to train on a muddy pitch near the stadium; Le Saint found them a new facility in Guipavas where they now have top-quality hybrid pitches The same surface was installed at the Francis-Le Ble There may still be a homespun charm to the operation — fans are allowed to watch training and press conferences take place in a prefabricated building — but things are more professional where it matters “Le Saint and his brother know how to run a business on a budget,” says Prigent “They also know how to surround themselves with competent people The Le Saints were born in the port city of Brest Those from outside the region tend to be won over a nuggety little Celtic enclave whose culture has more in common with that of Cornwall than places such as Carcassonne and Cannes elsewhere in France “The club definitely has a unique identity,” Steeve Elana who made 246 appearances for Brest between 2005 and 2012 “It’s partly a geographical thing: when you’re in Brest when you start to look more carefully at the history of the city you realise it was completely destroyed during the war and has gone through this process of reconstruction Many of those who played a part in that recovery remain emotionally invested “A lot of my former Brest team-mates are still there “That’s another big plus: the people making decisions have history at the club.” He told So Foot that he sees the club’s small-town outlook — passed down through the generations — as its greatest strength We make sure we defend the badge with pride “We do all the things you can’t do at big clubs All of those factors set the scene for what has happened in the past 18 months But if there was one single moment of ignition it was the appointment of Eric Roy as manager in January 2023 To call Roy a left-field pick would be to undersell it His coaching CV included just one previous job in senior management: an 18-month spell at hometown club Nice, which ended in 2011. Roy, a former journeyman midfielder, then worked as a television pundit for 12 years, pausing only for brief stints as sporting director at Lens and English club Watford When the call came from Brest, teetering above the Ligue 1 relegation zone and increasingly desperate for a saviour, Roy could barely credit it. “The adventure with Brest happened at a moment when I did not believe it could happen any more,” he recently told UK newspaper The Guardian They are eighth this season — not much of a drop-off considering they are juggling domestic duties with European fixtures Roy has won plaudits for the tweaks he made to Brest’s system high-pressing game scares the life out of even the best teams in France and his reinvention of rangy midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou as a deep-lying playmaker last season was a masterstroke This has not really been a tactical revolution Far more critical has been Roy’s ability to connect with players and fans he made the players understand that we will only succeed as a collective,” said Grougi says Roy has brought “a bit of soul” to the club In the first instance, Roy is an advocate for hard graft and intensity. He wants his players to compete, to snap into every tackle. “We’re a bit of a mob out on the pitch, a bit crazy,” veteran midfielder Jonas Martin told French newspaper L’Equipe in November “You should see us in training; there’s a lot of grumbling and moaning because we’re all so competitive and hate to lose The coach often calls us pirates and we live up to that name on the pitch.” Roy may be a Southerner but the fans believe he understands what it means to be Brestois “I share the same values as them,” he told The Guardian Having to decamp to Guingamp’s Stade de Roudourou — itself a fairly modest venue holding just under 20,000 — for every Champions League home match has been a logistical challenge and a wrench for supporters feelings threatened to bubble over this month when it was mooted that Paris (more than 300 miles/350km away) could play host to Brest in the knockout phase — a solution that would have filled the club’s coffers but completely contradicted its values dropping to 13th following an uncharacteristically meek 2-0 away defeat against Shakhtar Donetsk last week “The fans have been living a daydream,” says Prigent “I never could have imagined this,” he says “It has been an extraordinary season and playing against Real Madrid is a kind of consecration They deserve to still be in the competition and deserve to enjoy this match “I’m also happy for the fans who have stuck with the club through the difficult years happy that they get to experience a match like this (Top photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton) Jack Lang is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering football. Follow Jack on Twitter @jacklang Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application 2024 at Franklin Square Hospital in Rosedale she was the daughter of Austin and Michelle (Kinne) Brest Though Lilah’s time with her family was brief she was so loved and touched the hearts of many Her beauty will never be forgotten and the family is eternally grateful for the time they were able to spend with her.  Contributions may be made to Cuz We Care Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors You don't have permission to access the page you requested. What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed. The Athletic FC ⚽ is The Athletic’s daily football (or soccer, if you prefer) newsletter. Sign up to receive it directly to your inbox Hello! It’s Matchday Mayhem in the Champions League and a club with five per cent of Real Madrid’s riches are the heroes of it 🙌 Brest’s incredible rise 🔢 Europe’s 18-game rumble 🃏 Ted Lasso trading card buzz The closing night of the Champions League’s revamped group stage this evening cuts a scene of pure gluttony Eighteen simultaneous matches are an indulgence of action money and largesse — with a little strand of fantasy mixed in If you’re trying to decide which game of the 18 to watch, I’d point you towards Brest vs Real Madrid — a club who require a roadmap for the Champions League against another who know it inside out. It’s a fixture that defies football’s natural order; the product of a minor miracle The setting this evening tells a story in itself because the stadium in which Brest are playing their Champions League fixtures belongs to somebody else Their own is too small and basic to comply with the regulations of European football’s governing body an hour’s drive away and no heaving metropolis either It took protests from supporters to halt plans to play future knockout fixtures further afield Brest is a small fishing town on the north-western tip of France (next stop Comparisons with Real are hilarious: an annual turnover of £42million ($52m) versus £840m one season in the Champions League (this one) compared to Real’s 55 and zero major trophies in contrast to the Spaniards’ 103 But it is Brest’s history alone that says more than anything and there is no better way of putting it than this: when Madrid lifted the eighth of their 15 European Cup/Champions League titles in 2000 Brest were in one of France’s regional amateur leagues competing with what were effectively village teams Brest are not just here for the ride either they are guaranteed a place in the knockout play-offs next month Get the right result and they could advance into March’s round of 16 automatically As it stands after seven of the eight rounds of league-phase play they’re a point better off than today’s opposition — who are the defending European champions Their route to this point is distinctly marvellous Manager Eric Roy was almost devoid of experience and a stab in the dark when he got the job in 2023 Their squad is as far from box office as it gets in the Champions League Mark Carey from our data department highlighted giant striker Ludovic Ajorque and combative midfielder Mahdi Camara as faces to look out for but the average football fan would struggle to pick them out of an ID parade The setup was enough to earn them third place in France’s Ligue 1 last season It’s been enough to guide them into Europe and give them a fighting chance of sticking around at that level UEFA will see the threat of elimination from European competition for the rest of this season hanging over giants Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain tonight as the firmest vindication of its new Champions League format but U.S. broadcaster CBS has dubbed tonight ‘Matchday Mayhem’, a rare occasion when advertising hyperbole is justified. Nine of the 36 Champions League teams are already out, but there’s a hell of a lot still to play for. The Athletic got up close and personal with CBS here Before the dogs of war are unleashed, I wanted to bring you some essential reading. First up, it’s useful to understand just how much Europe’s top competition is paying out this season. For example, should Liverpool go all the way UEFA’s revised format is staggeringly lucrative (which was The old man in me told The Daily Football Briefing podcast this morning that 18 matches in one night is fundamentally daft and I don’t think we were so enthusiastic about the final round of group-stage fixtures last season It’s also set up for a gambler somewhere to fall one result short of an epic accumulator returning a fortune 📲 Our LIVE Champions League blog is up and running for all the latest 📲 LIVE transfer blog 🖱️ Most clicked in yesterday’s TAFC: the Seagull celebration The ironic thing about trading cards is that some become insanely valuable because nobody wanted them in the first place. A tonne of Mickey Mantle 1952 baseball cards were dumped in the sea — rendering those not sent to Davy Jones’ locker so rare that one in mint condition sold for eight figures in 2022 A similar thing happened with a Ted Lasso version issued by NBC to promote its acquisition of TV rights for the 2013-14 Premier League season It’s estimated that just six remain in circulation and if you’ve got your hands on one it’ll net you a sum in the thousands because they’re highly sought after now The highlight of this piece about them: a chat with Bill Bergofin — an NBC employee at the time of issue — prompting him to rummage through the stack of cards in his closet What is the definition of ‘on a plate’? How about this chance for Millwall’s Raees Bangura-Williams in their 1-0 Championship win at Portsmouth yesterday It had an expected goals (xG) rating of 0.80 — which The net wasn’t wide enough to swallow him up either (Top photo: Fred Tanneau/AFP via Getty Images) Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and joined The Athletic in 2019 as its Leeds United writer. He is now lead writer of The Athletic FC newsletter. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. Follow Phil on Twitter @PhilHay_ Location: Stade Francis-Le Blé in Brest The Paillade (4-4-22) are traveling to Stade Francis-Le Blé in Brest France on Sunday where they will take on Brest (13-5-13) The Pirates are priced at -152 and the Paillade are at +126 The starting goalkeepers will be Gregoire Coudert for Brest and Benjamin Lecomte for Montpellier The Pirates have a rank of 49th in relation to expected goals having 42.3 Stade Brestois 29 has give up 53 goals while relinquishing 1.71 goals per 90 and the opposition have 130 shots on target against them Their differential on goals is currently at -4 by way of 49 goals put in the net and also 53 goals given up which gives them a % of 25.8% for the year Brest has a total of 77 SVs and have earned a save% of 59.2% this year Brest has amassed 62 yellow card warnings this year and also 3 red cards the club sports an average of 1.42 pts/match (44 points) and sit at 49th in European soccer with 30 assists Get all of our Soccer Expert Picks Montpellier has compiled 22 goals and the squad's expected goals on the season is 31.6 This club's goals against per 90 min is at 2.30 in addition to 103 saves Montpellier HSC has a save percentage of 59.4% (170 SoTA) and also sit at 93rd among Big 5 teams with 16 pts Montpellier is ranked 90th when talking about goals allowed having 69 and the team's difference in goals is sitting at -47 Montpellier HSC has accounted for a clean sheet % of 3.3% on the year and also 82 yellow card cautions The Paillade are averaging 0.5 pts per contest while tallying 12 assists and 7 red cards The guy who is expected to defend the goal for Brest will be Gregoire Coudert Coudert has been on the pitch for 361 minutes and has 13 stops in his career The goalie from France has seen 18 shots attempted against him in 4 career starts His goals allowed per 90 mins is 1.25 (5 total goals surrendered) and he holds a save % of 72.2% Coudert (3-0-1 mark in his professional soccer career) has accounted for 2 clean sheets which leaves him with a 50.0%% clean sheet rate Benjamin Lecomte will look after the goal for Montpellier Lecomte has given up 448 goals and has accounted for 999 saves in 331 starting assignments He sports a save % of 69.3% and his clean sheet rate is 26.5%% He has allowed 1.35 goals per 90 minutes while holding a record of 111-94-127 Lecomte has racked up 88 clean sheets and has defended 1,441 shots tried against him in 29,900 career mins Ludovic Ajorque is one member of the side who has a chance to score for Brest Ajorque has started 240 outings during his pro soccer career and accounts for 0.39 goals per 90 mins The forward from France has earned 90 goals scored in 21,027 mins He has 30 assists while accumulating 210 points during his soccer career who opposing coaches will have to gameplan for in this fixture He has totaled 102 pts thus far in his career and has assisted on a goal 18 times The forward born in France has totaled 14,485 professional minutes and has earned 42 goals He has an average of 0.26 goals per 90 mins and has been given a starting assignment in 165 matches in his career Who will win tonight's soccer game against the spread Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Brest (+126) Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here Get all of Today's Free Soccer Picks Get all of Today's Expert Soccer Picks is the opening game of the playoff schedule The two teams met nine days ago in Ligue 1 but the game was much closer than the score suggested Goncalo Ramos scored two goals late on to secure the three points the latest a 2-0 away win over Nantes in Ligue 1 Both teams played on Friday and had similar rest periods to prepare for the game and head coach Luis Enrique will likely pick a strong side who registered for this round of the competition in January will be available after his January transfer MORE: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Finds It Difficult To Describe Emotions After Scoring First PSG Goal Here is how Paris Saint-Germain could lineup on Tuesday against Brest: IMAGO / StarfaceGK: Gianluigi Donnarumma - The Italian goalkeeper looks set to sign a new contract with the club and is an essential presence in goal for the game RB: Achraf Hakimi - Hakimi was on the bench for the game against Monaco CB: Marquinhos - The captain of the Parisians is the leader and has played in plenty of these big European knockout games CB: Willian Pacho - The Ecuadorian has formed a solid partnership with Marquinhos at the back and will need to be solid against a dangerous Brest team LB: Nuno Mendes - Mendes is the first-choice left-back in this strong attacking back four He had an assist in the last game against Monaco CM: Desire Doue - The young attacking-minded midfielder started against Monaco and his performance could get him a start over Lee Kang-in CM: Vitinha - The Portuguese midfielder has started every Champions League game for the Parisians so far and is an important cog in the team another key player in the three-man midfield is one of the first players on Luis Enrique's team sheet RW: Bradley Barcola - With two goals and two assists in the last four games Barcola could start on the right side of the front three ST: Ousmane Dembele - One of the most in-form players in Europe Dembele has eight goals in his last three starts in all competitions including a hat trick in the last Champions League game LW: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - The Georgian is in line to start his first Champions League game this season having been registered after signing from Napoli in January PSG Star Ousmane Dembele Wins Ligue 1 Player of the Month Award PSG Transfer News: David, Vlahovic, Kolo Muani, Soler & More - February 9, 2025 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Finds It Difficult To Describe Emotions After Scoring First PSG Goal PSG Defender Achraf Hakimi Has Clear Goal After Extending Contract Until 2029 JORDAN MERRITTJordan Merritt is a freelance soccer writer who covers Real Madrid CF, Bayern Munich, and PSG On SI. He is an obsessive soccer fan and an Arsenal supporter. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER playWhat's behind Dembélé's red-hot scoring streak for PSG (2:05)Julien Laurens reveals what's driving Ousmane Dembélé's scoring streak for PSG Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique heaped praise on winger Ousmane Dembélé after the Frenchman's brilliant two-goal display in Tuesday's Champions League playoff first-leg win at Brest The capital side cruised to a commanding 3-0 victory with Dembélé tormenting the Brest defence throughout the match Dembélé's brace brought his total to 18 goals in his last 10 appearances After the final whistle, Enrique lauded the 27-year-old France forward who has scored 18 goals in his last 11 matches "You'd have to ask him what he ate at Christmas He is a player full of confidence," Luis Enrique told reporters he was the kind of player you'd choose when you needed someone to change the game "He was already good last season but in 2025 he is even better You can see his teammates looking for him and finding him With the home leg on February 19 looking like being smooth sailing Luis Enrique acknowledged PSG were in a good position to reach the competition's last 16 "There is a consistency that makes the team better Ousmane Dembélé has 23 goals for the season and 18 in 11 appearances over the last two months. YOAN VALAT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock.Dembele praised his teammates for his current form "It wasn't easy. Brest are a team we know very well" he told reporters after the win over their fellow Ligue 1 side "We stayed focused from beginning to end and got the job done But it is not over yet so we need to remain focused to finish it off at the Parc des Princes Everyone is focused and playing really well and that helps me to score goals if I am in the right positions to finish the chances." 2025 at 2:45 PM UTC·2 min readParis Saint-Germain take on French counterparts Brest in the Champions League this evening The Ligue 1 rivals have been drawn together in the play-off round with recent results including a 5-2 win at Brest in the French top flight just 10 days ago Ousmane Dembele scored a hat-trick in that win and is in career-best form The winger leads Ligue 1 for goals with 16 and has scored 21 times in all competitions Brest exceeded all expectations in the league phase to reach the knockout rounds Their European campaign has included a win over PSV Eindhoven and battling draw with German champions Bayer Leverkusen Eric Roy’s side are currently eighth in the Ligue 1 table Luis Enrique could hand a European debut to marquee signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia The €70m recruit from Napoli has been registered for the knockout rounds and should start tonight PSG have a near clean bill of health for tonight’s tie with teenagers Warren Zaire-Emery and Ibrahim Mbaye the only confirmed absentees Brest host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League’s play-off round on Tuesdau February 11th 2025 Kick-off at the Stade Francis-Le Blé is 17:45 GMT The match will be shown live on TNT Sports in the UK Read – Things to look out for in Tuesday’s Champions League action  See more – Five uncapped players Thomas Tuchel will be watching closely 2025 at 10:41 AM UTC·1 min readParis Saint-Germain will host Stade Brestois at the Parc des Princes this evening for the second leg of their Champions League playoff It was advantage PSG after the two sides collided a week before when a penalty from Vitinha and a brace from Ousmane Dembéle provided Les Parisiens a 3-0 lead.  Dembélé and Vitinha were both rested on the weekend when PSG defeated Toulouse FC 1-0 to maintain their undefeated domestic run the first-leg goal scorers will be back on the team sheet as PSG looks to hold their lead and secure their place in the Round of 16.  The big name likely to be missing from the lineup will be winter signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia The Georgian winger was left on the bench for the first leg and it looks as if Luis Enrique will rest him again with Bradley Barcola given the nod on the left of the front three.  GFFN | Nick Hartland Real Madrid finished the first stage of this season’s Champions League with a comfortable win away to Brest — but it wasn’t enough to secure a top-eight finish and a shortcut to the last 16 Instead, the reigning European champions will face Manchester City or Celtic in the playoff round next month The Athletic’s Jack Lang and Dermot Corrigan assess the key action… “It’s the club’s biggest-ever game,” he told L’Equipe on the morning of a date that had been circled in local calendars for months “I didn’t even imagine playing in Europe when I took over So to play against Real Madrid is exceptional.” This was always going to be a celebratory occasion a dreamscape made reality in the distinctive mizzle of France’s northwest frontierland increasingly able to forget the rules that ordinarily govern these things the result of dozens of flares let off in the Tribune Est of the Stade de Roudourou This meant the game ultimately kicked off five minutes late on a night when all 18 Champions League matches were due to be played simultaneously If you didn’t know that this wasn’t Brest’s stadium didn’t know they have been a travelling circus all through their campaign thousands of flags flew — not in Brest red the club’s success embraced by an entire region Madrid scored, then scored twice more. No one cared. Kids huddled with their parents and grandparents, booed Kylian Mbappe “I want to make Brest a big club,” Le Saint had said To read through Brest’s squad or look at their crumbling Francis Le-Ble stadium is to know that he has a lot of work to do in the disbelieving warmth of a crowd still coming to terms with what their local heroes have achieved this season it was tempting to believe that Le Saint will make good on his word Two players who have spent much of their Madrid careers on the right wing ended up playing key parts in tonight’s win from different areas of the pitch Lucas Vazquez has been Ancelotti’s first choice at right-back ever since club captain Dani Carvajal was injured back in October even though the 33-year-old Galician has spent most of his career further forward That ability in attack is generally useful for Madrid in games where they are mostly on the attack and Vazquez was a regular threat throughout he skipped past Brest’s own stand-in left-back Mathias Pereira Lage Vazquez’s best moment came just after half-time when he got right around the back of the Brest defence and the pull-back was perfect for Bellingham to side-foot in Madrid’s second goal Vinicius Junior’s suspension for tonight’s game meant that Rodrygo got to switch wings and play on his favoured left side of the attack The in-form Brazilian took advantage with another double to follow last week’s double strike from the other side against Red Bull Salzburg The opening goal came when Rodrygo took a Luka Modric pass towards the left of the Brest penalty area turned easily past the lumbering Brendan Chardonnet and slotted a low shot in off the far post It was a hugely efficient finish from a player who is doing all he can to retain a place in Ancelotti’s ‘gala XI’ Rodrygo’s second was a real poacher’s effort — when Mbappe’s snapshot was beaten out by Brest keeper Marco Bizot the Brazilian reacted quicker than anyone else and showed fine technique and confidence to volley the loose ball to the net Ancelotti does not have a huge squad, but he has lots of players who are comfortable in more than one position. Aurelien Tchouameni may have suffered tonight — but Vazquez and Rodrygo both showed how their qualities can be useful in different areas of the pitch it should be worrying for Madrid just how difficult Tchouameni found things in the middle of the back four Brest seemed to have identified him as a weak link — with big centre-forwards Ludovic Ajorque and Mama Balde often looking to challenge him physically and regularly getting rewards for doing so Tchouameni first gave the ball away out wide then gave away a dangerous free kick closer to goal when trying unsuccessfully to make amends His third foul of the game brought a deserved booking (just after Rodrygo scored) for a pull on Ajorque’s shirt after the huge No 26 had easily outmuscled his marker and turned near halfway After half-time came a huge let-off — for both Tchouameni and his team Ajorque was able to easily turn on the edge of the area and get off a shot which went through his marker’s legs to the Madrid net The narrowest of offside calls disallowed the goal but did not make the defending any better The more established teams Madrid will meet in the play-off will likely cause different challenges for Ancelotti’s defence but even in tonight’s relatively straightforward final group game there were signs of a potential issue for the defending champions later in the competition Brest tried their hearts out at the Roudourou as they have throughout their Champions League run diamond-cut quality of Madrid's attackers would hold sway with one particular Brest defender the luckless fall guy Born a stone's throw away from the Stade Francis-Le Ble he has played for the club since he was a child leaving only for a brief loan spell away earlier in his career He is not just the captain of Eric Roy's side What he is not — quite — is an elite centre-back He made a costly error against Shakhtar Donetsk last week and was run ragged here both of whom drifted into his zone constantly It was Chardonnet who grasped at thin air when Rodrygo waltzed through to score the opening goal just as Brest were building some momentum early in the second half the 30-year-old paid about three times the asking price for a Mbappe dummy on the halfway line doomed sprint back to the penalty area and a perfect view of Bellingham's tap-in overlooked corner of France are known for their hardiness Ancelotti told his post-match press conference: "I've always seen him well When he scored the two goals against City (in the 2022 Champions League semi-final second leg) when he helped us win the Champions League There are moments when he can score more or less but the truth is that he always works well for the team His help is very important even if he doesn't score." Ancelotti also praised Vazquez for his role in the win “My opinion is always the same about Lucas," the Italian said always at the highest level and he deserves the support of the whole stadium." "We are getting (into) a good dynamic physically "I have a lot of confidence in this team because I see a lot of (good) things on the pitch." Saturday, February 1: Espanyol (Away), La Liga (Top photo: Damien Meyer/AFP via Getty Images) Holders Real Madrid made sure they would be seeded for Friday's Champions League playoff draw by beating Stade Brest 3-0 away in the last round of the first phase on Wednesday Brest will also feature in the two-legged playoffs as an unseeded team in their first European campaign Real reached the Champions League knockout phase for the 28th consecutive year and extended their winning streak to five matches in all competitions Real finished in 11th place with 15 points from eight games, and will face either Manchester City or Celtic in the playoffs Brest are 18th with 13 points and will meet either Paris St Germain or Benfica in the next round Without the suspended Vinicius Jr and despite brave opponents Carlo Ancelotti's Real side shook off the distraction of the raucous atmosphere in the small stadium Rodrygo opened the scoring with a cross-shot that went in off the post a minute after his close-range header was saved by Marco Bizot Bellingham extended the lead when he netted into an open goal from Vazquez's pass to finish off a counter-attack five minutes after Brest thought they had equalised only for Ludovic Ajorque's effort to be ruled out for offside Rodrygo sealed the win with a volley after Bizot had kept out a Kylian Mbappé shot Mbappe's run of scoring in the last five matches came to an end and the France striker was booed by the home fans He had a lot of chances but his first two efforts went over the bar after 12 and 15 minutes respectively and he was also denied a couple of times by Bizot in the second half Holders Real Madrid made sure they would be seeded for Friday's Champions League playoff draw by beating Stade Brest 3-0 away in the last round of the first phase on Wednesday Real finished in 11th place with 15 points from eight games, and will face either Manchester City or Celtic in the playoffs Brest are 18th with 13 points and will meet either Paris St Germain or Benfica in the next round Rodrygo opened the scoring with a cross-shot that went in off the post a minute after his close-range header was saved by Marco Bizot Bellingham extended the lead when he netted into an open goal from Vazquez's pass to finish off a counter-attack five minutes after Brest thought they had equalised only for Ludovic Ajorque's effort to be ruled out for offside Rodrygo sealed the win with a volley after Bizot had kept out a Kylian Mbappé shot Mbappe's run of scoring in the last five matches came to an end and the France striker was booed by the home fans The EHF Court of Handball has issued its decision in a case concerning the EHF Champions League Women 2024/25 play-offs second leg match between Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA) and HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO) The case was initiated following the absence of mandatory sponsor floor stickers at the venue constituting a breach of the EHF regulations the Court of Handball has imposed a fine of €8,000 on Brest Bretagne Handball €2,000 has been imposed on a suspended basis An appeal may be filed with the EHF Court of Appeal within seven days You said no to using cookies or similar tools that help improve your experience. To see this content, you would need to update your Privacy Preferences OFFICIAL STATEMENT: Court of Handball issues further decision regarding withdrawal of Vipers from EHF Champions League OFFICIAL STATEMENT: The EHF Court of Handball issued its decision on a case opened against Ukrainian player Andrii Akimenko OFFICIAL STATEMENT: The EHF Court of Handball issued its decision in a case opened against BV Borussia Dortmund OFFICIAL STATEMENT: The EHF Court of Handball has issued a decision on HC Kriens-Luzern case OFFICIAL STATEMENT: The EHF Court of Handball reached its decision in a case opened against HB Ludwigsburg OFFICIAL STATEMENT: The EHF Court of Handball ruled in a case opened against the Handball Federation of Kosovo OFFICIAL STATEMENT: The European Handball Federation has rescheduled the EHF European Cup Men quarter-final OFFICIAL STATEMENT: The EHF European Cup Men quarter-final between RK Partizan AdmiralBet and AEK Athens HC OFFICIAL STATEMENT: The EHF Court of Handball has ruled in a case opened against Sporting CP 2025 at 3:30 PM UTCSecond division side USL Dunkerque defeated Stade Brest 3-2 in the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France after a comeback to reach the semi-finals of the competition for the first time in 96 years Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire/dpaDPAFebruary 11 2025 at 8:01 PM UTC·1 min readOusmane Dembélé scored a brace as Paris Saint-Germain won the all-French duel against Brest 3-0 and took advantage in the Champions League knock-out phase play-off on Tuesday Vitinha broke the deadlock from the spot in the 21st after Pierre Lees-Melou touched the ball with his arm in the box and the Paris side was awarded a penalty giving goalkeeper Bizot no chance after cutting inside and striking a low shot past him The Parisians host the second leg at home on February 19 The winner of the tie will face either Liverpool or Barcelona in the last 16 reigning champions Real Madrid visit Manchester City Juventus welcome PSV and Sporting host Borussia Dortmund The new Champions League format made its debut this season and saw 36 teams playing in a league phase instead of a group stage The top eight clubs advanced directly to the last 16 while teams placed ninth to 24th are taking part in an extra play-off stage Arsenal and Inter Milan are the clubs already qualified to the last 16 In fact, Carlo Ancelotti's men still have a slim chance of finishing in the top eight and automatically qualifying for the Champions League round of 16. They must leave France with all three points, though, if they want to have a shot at cracking the top eight. Then, they would have to hope for several results to swing in their favor Real Madrid will be without the injured Eduardo Camavinga Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão for the European clash Vinícius Júnior will also miss the trip as he serves his one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation in the Champions League Here's what Real Madrid's XI could look like against Brest on Jan GK: Thibaut Courtois—Courtois will look to make it two clean sheets in a row for just the second time this season RB: Lucas Vázquez—The Spaniard is back from suspension and set to reprise his role on the right flank CB: Raúl Asencio—The 21-year-old impressed at right back against Real Valladolid but he should return to his natural position alongside Rüdiger CB: Antonio Rüdiger—Despite nursing a knee issue Rüdiger will still lead Los Blancos' backline LB: Ferland Mendy—Ancelotti has been rotating his two left backs and it is Mendy's turn to get the nod DM: Fede Valverde—Valverde is always an option at right back but he is at his best in the middle of the park DM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—The Frenchman put in a solid performance at center back at the weekend but he is in line to return to the midfield RW: Brahim Díaz—When Ancelotti's strongest attack is unavailable AM: Jude Bellingham—Bellingham might be in the middle of a five-match goal drought but the England international is still leading the way with three assists in his last two appearances LW: Rodrygo—The Brazilian once again gets to play on his preferred left wing in the absence of Vinícius Júnior Rodrygo comes into the match with five goals and two assists in his last six appearances ST: Kylian Mbappé—Fresh off scoring his first hat trick in a white shirt Mbappé will hope to mark his return to France with more goals AMANDA LANGELLAmanda Langell is a Sports Illustrated Soccer freelance writer covering the European game and international competitions. Luis Enrique’s Les Parisiens have rocked up to 15th in the standings which means they will be seeded for Friday’s draw As they finish 15th in the Champions League PSG will face either the 17th-placed team or the 18th-placed one both of those spots are occupied by Ligue 1 teams PSG will know which one of Monaco or Brest they will face next month on Friday The Champions League play-off round first legs will be played on 11 and 12 February The second leg will be played the following week the return leg against Monaco or Brest will be held at Parc des Princes Real Madrid take on Brest without Vinícius Júnior they also must handle their own business and defeat Brest Carlo Ancelotti's men are the favorites against the Ligue 1 side but the pressure is on Real Madrid to win by a large margin to give themselves the best possible goal difference the task might not seem too difficult for the defending Spanish and European champions but they will be without one of their best goalscorers in Vinícius Júnior Vinícius Júnior is suspended for Real Madrid's Champions League clash with Brest The winger received his third yellow card in the league phase against RB Salzburg and therefore must serve a one-game suspension The 24-year-old is no stranger to suspensions this season. Vinícius Júnior already served a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation in La Liga before the holiday break, and just served a two-match La Liga ban for receiving a straight red card against Valencia Vinícius Júnior has now missed three of Real Madrid's last four matches across all competitions due to various suspensions Los Blancos scored seven goals in their last two matches without the Brazilian thanks to Kylian Mbappé Ancelotti will once again rely on the Frenchman Bradley Barcola scored in the 20th minute and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia added his goal in the 39th minute the floodgates opened as PSG scored three goals in 10 minutes and two more after that for the lopsided result MORE: Gary Lineker Names PSG As One Of The Five Strongest Teams Left In The Champions League After the match, Luis Enrique spoke to the media ahead of the game. Read on to know what he had to say (via Canal Supporters) I want to give credit to Brest—they're a tough team to play against and one of the best in France We have to congratulate them on their performance We were strong from the start and didn’t let the match become too relaxed but we showed respect to one of France’s top teams MVti 💫Brest/PSG ✅🏆PSG/Brest ✅🏆 pic.twitter.com/UNGEgQSRNT Q: Do you have a preference for the opponent in the Round of 16 I’d love for it to be Barcelona or Liverpool (laughs) Q: Does having seven different scorers reflect your playing philosophy Enrique: We talked about it after the match It’s never happened before in Champions League history It’s a testament to the mentality of our players ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/Lrk8kiIHKJ It’s tough to find players who can improve the team in the transfer market He still needs time to adapt and get to know his teammates better he made a huge defensive effort—that’s exactly what we want Q: Not letting up for 90 minutes—would you say that’s your greatest victory Enrique: When we have supporters who always back us at home and away the best way to show respect is by being serious and professional but we kept playing the same way against a very good opponent Good night 🌙 pic.twitter.com/Dg3gBhFaD3 He’s in his club with a staff that isn’t afraid to trust him I also want to give a shoutout to Gonçalo Ramos who probably should’ve been man of the match and it will stay that way for years to come Enrique: I think it’s better to ask the coaches we’ve faced what’s changed The group stage was unfair—we should’ve had five more points and finished in the top eight That challenge made us better and prepared us for what’s ahead The first ever Champions League goal for the 18-year-old Mayulu! 👏⭐️ pic.twitter.com/QUOA0s0UMt PSG 7-0 Brest: Full Match Highlights As Parisians Run Riot In UEFA Champions League PSG 7-0 Brest: Parisians Crush Brest To Progress To Champions League Round Of 16 PSG-Linked Forward Issues Strong Response To Criticism From Current Coach PSG Plotting Audacious Summer Move For $83.5 Million Real Madrid Midfielder PSG cruise to the last 16 with 7-0 victory over Brest Paris St-Germain roared into the last 16 of the Champions League with a thumping victory over Brest Luis Enrique's side will now face Liverpool or Barcelona with the draw due to take place on Friday Already leading 3-0 from the first leg of their knockout play-off the hosts again exhibited their superiority over a fellow French side they have now defeated four times this season - scoring 18 times in the process Bradley Barcola extended their advantage with a neat near-post effort and his fellow winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia tapped in PSG's second of the evening before the break Portugal international Joao Neves also hit the crossbar for the hosts before his compatriot and midfield partner Vitinha curled a low shot into the right corner from 18 yards just before the hour mark Goncalo Ramos teed up fellow substitute Desire Doue for their fourth the impressive Nuno Mendes slid in Achraf Hakimi's teasing ball for a fifth Ramos' deft finish brought a sixth and teenager Senny Mayulu rounded off the scoring with four minutes left It ensured a miserable night in the French capital for Brest who only threatened sporadically when Mathias Pereira Lage's placed effort was cleared off the line by PSG captain Marquinhos and Pierre Lees-Melou hit the post with a curling effort Paris St-Germain have scored 21 goals in their last five Champions League matches After the opportunity to rate players has closed the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made substituted for Lee Kang-In at 60 minutesNumber 17 substituted for Gonçalo Ramos at 61 minutesNumber 10 Ndiaye Match OfficialsReferee: Michael OliverVideo Assistant Referee: Michael SalisburyAssistant Referee 1: Stuart BurtAssistant Referee 2: James MainwaringFourth Official: Andy MadleyAssistant VAR Official: Peter BankesMatch StatsKey Scroll LeftScroll RightParis SG’s 3-0 victory in the first leg against Brest was the 19th time they’ve won the first leg of a European knockout tie away from home – they’ve progressed from 17 of the previous 18 failing only against Manchester United in the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League Brest trail by three goals in this tie against Paris SG No side has ever progressed from a two-legged UEFA Champions League knockout stage tie having lost the first leg at home by three or more goals Paris SG are unbeaten in their last 31 meetings with Brest in all competitions (W23 D8) their longest unbeaten run against an opponent in their history They’ve beaten them three times already this season last winning four games against an opponent in a single campaign in 2017-18 (4 vs Monaco) Brest haven’t won away from home against Paris SG in any competition since September 1981 (2-1 in Ligue 1) failing to win their last 18 such matches since then (D5 L13) Brest have never scored more than two goals in an away match against the Parisians (13 goals in 21 matches overall) Brest have lost four of their last five UEFA Champions League matches (W1) with those four defeats coming by an aggregate score of 11-0 Paris SG have won their last four UEFA Champions League games They last won five in a row between September and November 2017 also scoring at least three times in each victory in that run Brest failed to score in the first leg against Paris SG despite striking the woodwork on three occasions during the match The only team on record (since 2003-04) to hit the woodwork more times and fail to score in a UEFA Champions League knockout stage game is Paris SG (4 v Borussia Dortmund in May 2024) Ousmane Dembélé has scored seven goals in his three appearances against Brest in all competitions this season It’s the second most goals a PSG player has scored against an opponent in a single campaign after Zlatan Ibrahimovic against St Etienne in 2014-15 (8) Paris SG’s Ousmane Dembélé has scored six goals in his last three UEFA Champions League games netting a hat-trick against VfB Stuttgart and a brace against Brest in his last two The last player to score multiple goals in three consecutive appearances was Erling Haaland who did four in a row in the 2020-21 campaign Paris SG’s Vitinha has completed the most passes under high-intensity pressure in the UEFA Champions League this season (395) of midfielders to attempt 200+ such passes he also ranks second overall for completion rate under high-intensity pressure (92.7%) Fourth official has announced %injmins% minutes of added time Mathias Pereira Lage (Brest) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high Désiré Doué (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner Senny Mayulu (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner Foul by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint Germain) Pierre Lees-Melou (Brest) wins a free kick in the defensive half Julien Le Cardinal (Brest) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick on the left wing Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the defensive half Gonçalo Ramos (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner Hand ball by Senny Mayulu (Paris Saint Germain) Luck Zogbé (Brest) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right following a corner Ousmane Dembele continued his remarkable scoring form as Paris St-Germain took control of their all-France Champions League knockout phase play-off with Brest In-form Dembele added another two goals to make it 18 in his last 11 appearances in all competitions The France forward had scored three in his previous European appearance against Stuttgart. Only a select group of players have scored hat-tricks in back-to-back Champions League games including Lionel Messi for Barcelona in 2016 and Cristiano Ronaldo for Real Madrid in 2017. But Dembele was denied the chance to join that list when he was replaced in the 82nd minute by Goncalo Ramos. "Everyone is focused and playing really well and that helps me to score goals if I am in the right positions to finish the chances," said the 2018 World Cup winner when asked about his form after the game. "The players, whether it's Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue or Kvara [Khvicha Kvaratskhelia], they give me great service, so all I have to do is put the ball in the net." Dembele has 14 goals in Ligue 1 and the Champions League in 2025. "He was already good in 2024 and in 2025 he is even better," said PSG boss Luis Enrique. "It is a pleasure for me when you have so many players who are full of confidence." Former Wolves loan signing Vitinha had opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 21st minute after Pierre Lees-Melou had handled an attempt by Dembele. Dembele then added the second in the 45th minute with a clinical finish before he made it 3-0, pouncing inside the penalty area in the 66th minute. Shortly before Dembele's first goal, Brest - who are making their Champions League debut this season - were twice denied by the frame of the goal. This was the first play-off match in the new Champions League format. The return leg takes place in Paris on 19 February. PSG, who have never won the Champions League, were heading out of the competition before back-to-back wins over Manchester City and Stuttgart in the league phase secured a play-off spot. They will be strong favourites to advance from this position and face either Liverpool or Barcelona - Dembele's former club - in the last 16. After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users. Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00. substituted for Mathias Pereira Lage at 83 minutesNumber 21 substituted for Mama Baldé at 64 minutesNumber 19 substituted for Lee Kang-In at 75 minutesNumber 10 substituted for Gonçalo Ramos at 82 minutesNumber 14 Kvaratskhelia at 67 minutesSubstitutesNumber 21 Arnau Tenas Match OfficialsReferee: Irfan PeljtoVideo Assistant Referee: Tomasz KwiatkowskiAssistant Referee 1: Senad IbrisimbegovicAssistant Referee 2: Davor BeljoFourth Official: Milos GigovicAssistant VAR Official: Piotr LasykMatch StatsKey Scroll LeftScroll RightThis will be the first time ever that both Brest and Paris SG have faced a fellow French side in European competition The only previous UEFA Champions League tie between two French clubs was the 2009-10 quarter-final between Bordeaux and Lyon from which Lyon progressed 3-2 on aggregate Paris SG are unbeaten in their last 30 matches against Brest across all competitions (W22 D8) with their last defeat against them coming in January 1985 (1-3 in Ligue 1) they’ve already beaten Brest on two occasions in 2024-25 (3-1 at home and 5-2 away in Ligue 1) In what is their debut campaign in European competition Brest have progressed from the UEFA Champions League league phase They are the first French side to make it past the first round of the European Cup/Champions League in their debut campaign in major European competition since Nice reached the quarter-final in 1956-57 Paris SG won each of their final three matches of this season’s UEFA Champions League league phase their longest winning run in the competition since February 2021 (run of 4) and just one fewer win than they managed in their previous 14 fixtures in UEFA’s premier competition (W4 D3 L7) Brest lost just one of their four home games in the league phase of this season’s UEFA Champions League (W2 D1) their final match against Real Madrid (0-3) after winning three of their opening four matches in the 2024-25 competition (D1) Brest then lost three of their final four (W1) Brest have completed just 72% of their passes under high-intensity pressure in the UEFA Champions League this season; the second-lowest success rate during the league phase only three sides have made more high-intensity pressures in the final third than Paris SG (894) this term (Bayern Munich After scoring just three goals from 95 shots (3.2% conversion rate) and 8.0 xG in their opening five UEFA Champions League games this season Paris SG have since scored 11 from 54 shots (20.4%) and 8.4 xG only Bayern Munich (185) attempted more shots in the league phase overall than the French club (149) Brest’s Ludovic Ajorque applied more pressures in the opposition’s half (447) than any other player in the 2024-25 league phase of the UEFA Champions League with only Erling Haaland (295) applying more in the final third than the Frenchman (293) Paris SG’s Achraf Hakimi created more chances (21) than any other defender in the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 league phase while the only defender to attempt more shots than the Moroccan (20) was Álex Grimaldo (21) Hakimi was directly involved in four goals (1 goal the most of any defender in the league phase Paris SG’s Ousmane Dembélé has hit the woodwork three times in the UEFA Champions League this season; the joint-most of any player during the league phase (also three by Mo Salah) after only scoring with one his first 25 shots in the competition this term (4%) the Frenchman converted three of his last five shots (60% - including a hat-trick v Stuttgart) Lee Kang-In (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal Gonçalo Ramos (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the defensive half Massadio Haïdara (Brest) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked Mama Baldé (Brest) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked Ludovic Ajorque (Brest) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked Assisted by Brendan Chardonnet with a headed pass Fourth official has announced 5 minutes of added time Ibrahim Salah (Brest) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked Vitinha (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal Hand ball by Lee Kang-In (Paris Saint Germain) Mathias Pereira Lage replaces Mahdi Camara Brendan Chardonnet (Brest) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box misses to the left Assisted by Pierre Lees-Melou with a headed pass following a corner Amine Gouiri’s Hat-Trick Leads Marseille to 4-1 Victory Over BrestA sensational performance from Amine Gouiri who scored three of his team’s four goals — including a perfectly executed overhead kick — powered Marseille to a 4-1 victory over Brest lifting them to second place in the Ligue 1 standings With just three matches left in the season Roberto De Zerbi’s side has hit form at the most crucial moment Their triumph at the Stade Vélodrome marked their second consecutive win helping them bounce back after a rough spell that included five defeats in eight games Sealing the Hat-Trick: After the hour mark 2025 at 10:56 AM UTC·4 min readReal Madrid have proven over the years that the UEFA Champions League is their playground and home territory they return to action in the competition they have been known for this time in the final game of the league phase Los Blancos have not enjoyed a campaign half as good as was expected from them with defeats to AC Milan they do now have a place guaranteed in the playoff phase They travel to France for their final game of the league phase where they will take on Brest at Stade du Roudourou with the sole objective being to take three points Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Brest vs Real Madrid Real Madrid’s win over RB Salzburg last week ensured Los Blancos place in the top 24 thereby removing any chance of them facing a shock elimination they have a very narrow chance of making it to the top-8 given that they are a whole point and eight places behind eighth-placed Bayer Leverkusen A win against Brest tonight will keep the hope alive but Real Madrid will require several other results to go their way which is highly unlikely does not have any direct implication on Real Madrid’s route to the knockouts as it is very much likely that they will have to play in an extra knockout fixture to qualify for the Round of 16 The draw rules ahead of the play-off stipulate that teams finishing ninth and tenth will face either of the teams that finish 23rd and 24; 11th and 12th facing either of the 21st or 22nd placed teams and so on It is thus in Real Madrid’s favour to finish as high on the leaderboard as possible especially given that teams between 9th to 16th place will have the second leg at home they will look to avoid finishing between 15th to 18th place (where they currently sit) so as to avoid facing Liverpool or Barcelona as early as the Round of 16 (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)Kylian Mbappe is flying at Real Madrid after a rough start and finally looks to be back to his lethal goal-scoring self The Frenchman delivered his best performance yet in a Real Madrid jersey last week against Real Valladolid in La Liga, scoring a hat-trick and deciding the game on his own was missing in action on the night as he served the second of his two-game suspension in La Liga He will again be out of action against Brest as he is suspended and the limelight will thus be on his French teammate Mbappe will once again have the onus of being the sole main man in attack for Real Madrid Mbappe’s confidence has been growing with every passing game as has his understanding with the likes of Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo Goes A strong showing tonight will be a massive statement and a trailer of what is to come once Vinicius is back Brest are amongst the least-known teams in this year’s UEFA Champions League as they have not been a regular in the event in any capacity they have punched above their weight in the event The Ligue 1 side are currently placed 13th on the UCL standings even ahead of Real Madrid who are in 16th place and have 13 points in their seven games so far Brest lost their games against Barcelona and Shakhtar Donetsk in the competition but took all three points against PSV Eindhoven RB Salzburg and Sturm and even held the Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen to a draw Bestowed with the home advantage and with a playoff seat already in the bag Brest will look to take full advantage and move higher up the standings they have a mathematically better chance than Real Madrid of making it to the top-8 Carlo Ancelotti spoke highly of Brest and their attacking prowess in the Champions League ahead of tonight’s game and it is clear that Real Madrid must exert caution to great capacity Désiré Doué benchedPowered byPSG predicted XI v Brest: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia starts Désiré Doué benchedGet French Football NewsFebruary 1 2025 at 9:25 AM UTC·1 min readParis Saint-Germain will host Stade Brestois later this afternoon in a precursor to their upcoming Champions League clash The two sides were drawn in the playoffs as they both look to plot a route into the Last 16.  Khvicha Kvaratskhelia made his debut last weekend in the 1-1 draw with Stade de Reims and the former Napoli winger will likely be fielded from the start on the left of the front three Bradley Barcola who scored during the week against VfB Stuttgart will probably shift to the right with Désiré Doué dropping to the bench.  Fabián Ruiz and Lee Kang-in will likely be used alongside Vitinha in the midfield with Warren Zaïre-Emery and João Neves both suffering from injuries Luis Enrique will rotate from the Champions League tie with Nuno Mendes coming in for Lucas Hernandez.  2025 at 12:25 PM UTC·2 min readThe recent match between Brest and Real Madrid began five minutes late due to an incident caused by the French team’s supporters filling the stadium with smoke and making it impossible to start the match on time This delay has led to significant consequences for Brest the match was not played at their usual stadium which failed to meet the necessary safety standards for hosting such a fixture As a result, the club will likely be sanctioned, with the details to be revealed in the coming weeks according to the UEFA Disciplinary Code, reports Mundo Deportivo outline the responsibility of clubs to ensure order and security at their venues Clubs are held accountable for any incidents involving their supporters The article states that host clubs and national associations are responsible for maintaining order before all associations and clubs must comply with the UEFA Security Regulations which require them to take preventive measures they can face disciplinary actions unless they can prove that they were not negligent in organizing the match UEFA’s guidelines highlight several forms of inappropriate behaviour by supporters that could result in sanctions and any other disturbances that affect public order before the lighting of the flares by Brest supporters falls under the category of lighting fireworks or similar objects Brest will likely face sporting sanctions due to the delay especially as it was crucial for all matches to start on time during the final round of fixtures #spch.spch.s2tb-h .spchc {\n background: #fff;\n box-sizing: border-box;\n box-shadow: 0 2px 6px rgb(0 0 0 / 20%);\n height: auto;\n margin: 0;\n min-width: 100%;\n overflow: hidden;\n padding: 24px 115px;\n }\n#spch.spch.s2tb .spchc .inner-container #spch.spch.s2tb-h .spchc .inner-container {\n opacity: 1;\n transition: opacity 0.318s ease-in;\n }\n#spch.spch.s2tb .spchc .inner-container .text-container Monaco to face Benfica in Champions LeagueParis Saint-Germain and AS Monaco have discovered their opponents for the play-off round of the UEFA Champions League having finished the league phase with back-to-back wins who both concluded their league phase with defeats to Inter Milan and Real Madrid respectively Neither side were keen to face Les Parisiens with Brest’s Pierre Lees-Melou and Monaco’s Breel Embolo publically stating as much The draw took place on Friday and PSG have drawn Les Ty-Zéfs. Monaco will face Benfica The two sides have already faced each other this season in the Champions League Benfica won at the Stade Louis II (3-2) in November in a match dominated by controversial refereeing decisions The first legs will be played on 11th/12th February with the return legs being played one week later GFFN | Luke Entwistle 1 seed in the East and the second-best record in franchise history with the same core that won 48 games the previous season plenty of other athletes showed out in tailored garb in honor of the event's theme 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.' Vince and Kofie Yeboah react to the Golden State Warriors defeating the Houston Rockets in game 7 and preview the matchup with the Minnesota timberwolves James Harden's postseason struggles and Kofie's eulogy for a successful Detroit Piston's season Here's what to know for the second-round matchup between the Timberwolves and Warriors Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros react to the LA Galaxy’s latest loss which still leaves them winless this MLS season What is going on with the Galaxy and who is to blame for their abysmal form Christian and Alexis then bring on Professional Referee Organization referees Natalie Simon and Alyssa Nichols to chat why they became refs and how VAR helps or hurts their jobs Christian and Alexis then react to the latest news around soccer in another edition of Rápido Reactions including Harry Kane’s first trophy Trent Alexander-Arnold’s awkward goodbye & EA FC’s newest cover athlete GMs around the league face the media and a Turbo Mode weekend recap Start your week off right here at the Baseball Bar-B-Cast "I don't think they were dirty plays," Atkinson said "But I think it passed the line of physicality." The draft will be held at the National Mall when it heads to Washington Our 2025 fantasy football rankings continue to be updated but where can you find the rookie class coming out of the draft In today's edition: The Jets stun the Blues Sovereignty wins the Derby in a thrilling finish smart money has Rodgers and the Steelers getting something done just before the June full-squad minicamp The Warriors successfully avoided blowing another 3-1 series lead on Sunday night The top-ranked golfer in the world held a 10-shot lead briefly on Sunday while wrapping up a dominant week in Texas with one of the worst collective batting averages in the league Caglianone appears to be an immediate upgrade to the Royals' lineup the Nuggets had more gas in the tank and will advance to face the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals Eric Roy's side will make the short trip to the Parc des Princes, knowing that it will take a miracle for their already-impressive Champions League run to continue MORE: Brest 0-3 PSG: Parisians Secure Comfortable Lead After First Leg Of Champions League Playoff The coach spoke to reporters (via GFFN) ahead of the game and suggested that he has form for comebacks of this nature and therefore his players could have a better chance than most IMAGO / PsnewZYou must not know too much about my career but I played a game where I was losing 4-0 at halftime and we won 5-4 3-0 with 90 minutes left rather than 45 minutes let’s say that’s something within my capabilities Roy is referring to a match that took place when he played for Marseille They completed the comeback against Montpellier in the 1998/99 season courtesy of goals from Vitinha and Ousmane Dembele is enough to see it through the second leg Ousmane Dembélé is the only player to score 10+ goals across Europe's top five leagues and European competitions in 2025.⚽️⚽️ vs. Saint-Etienne⚽️ vs. Man City⚽️ vs. Reims⚽️⚽️⚽️ vs. Stuttgart⚽️⚽️⚽️ vs. Brest⚽️⚽️ vs. Monaco⚽️⚽️ vs. Brest 14 goals in just 7 games. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/4pgIHQ5DAZ PSG vs Brest Champions League Preview: Start Time, Date, Team News, How To Watch & Live Stream Transcript: Luis Enrique’s Press Conference Ahead Of PSG vs Brest PSG To Battle Manchester United For $78 Million Serie A Forward Fabian Ruiz Highlights One Reason Why PSG Is On A Positive Path Gary Lineker Names PSG As One Of The Five Strongest Teams Left In The Champions League 2025 at 6:57 PM UTC·1 min readAfter Vitinha gave Paris Saint-Germain the 1-0 lead midway through the first half against Stade Brestois Ousmane Dembélé added a second goal right before halftime to give the capital club a two-goal advantage and João Neves spotted the opening with Achraf Hakimi on the right who used Hakimi’s run to cut inside on his left foot and fired a powerful shot at the near post to beat Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot 2025 at 2:51 PM UTC·1 min readParis Saint Germain face Brest in the Champions League play-off round as they bid for a place in the round of 16 but the pitch prepared for them looks less than ideal Brest cannot play home games in their own stadium meaning that their "home" ground is actually at second tier side Guingamp's Stade de Roudourou And though Guingamp have not played there since February 1st the pitch is far from the carpet expected by modern footballers Will PSG be able to overcome that to take an advantage back to the Parc des Princes PSG has faced Brest numerous times throughout its history with Les Pirates having some long spells without facing Paris Saint-Germain Brest has only won three league meetings in 57 against the French Champions Ahead of this weekend's game, let's revisit five classic Ligue 1 matches between Paris Saint-Germain and Brest IMAGO / ABACAPRESSAfter a 20-year absence from Ligue 1 Brest faced Paris Saint-Germain for the first time since the 1990/91 season Brazilian forward Nene gave PSG a first-half lead at the Parc des Princes Brest leveled in the 54th minute through Nolan Roux The Parisians were back in front five minutes later ensured the three points with a 77th-minute strike IMAGO / Panoramic by PsnewZA six-goal thriller in the third game of the 2021/22 Ligue 1 season with four different scorers for Paris Saint-Germain Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera and Kylian Mbappe scored their first goals of the season to put the away team 2-0 up Brest pulled one back just before halftime through Franck Honorat Idrissa Gueye extended the lead again before Brest striker Steve Mounie looked to start a comeback with an 85th-minute strike Angel dDi Maria scored in the 90th minute on a counter-attack to secure three points having only been on the field nine minutes IMAGO / Panoramic by PsnewZBrest fought back from 2 goals down to take a point at the Parc des Princes Les Parisiens led 2-0 at halftime thanks to goals from Marco Asencio and summer signing Randal Kolo Muani Mahdi Camara pulled one back in the 55th minute before the substitute Mathias Pereira Lage equalized with 10 minutes remaining with PSG winger Bradley Barcola sent off in added-on time for his second yellow card IMAGO / Panoramic by PsnewZAfter a second extended period away from the top flight Brest returned to Ligue 1 in 2019/20 after last appearing in Ligue 1 in 2012/13 Ange Di Maria opened the scoring for Paris Saint-Germain and Samuel Grandsir leveled for Brest in the 72nd minute The reverse fixture did not go ahead after the final part of the season was canceled due to the global COVID outbreak IMAGO / Panoramic by PsnewZPSG rescued three points thanks to a late goal from striker Kylian Mbappe at the Stade Francis-Le Ble The away team went 2-0 up in the first half thanks to two good strikes from Warren Zaïre-Emery and Kylian Mbappe Brest pulled a goal back with Steve Mounie's header The home team equalized in the 52nd minute with Jeremy Le Douaron scoring with a fantastic header The joy turned to despair in the 89th minute when Mbappe followed up on his penalty miss to smash home the rebound Champions League Draw: Paris Saint-Germain Draw All-French Playoff Round Game Barcelona Winger Lamine Yamal Responds To Possibly Facing PSG In The Champions League Round Of 16 Paris Saint-Germain Transfer News: Rodrygo, Ndour, Simons, Santos & More - January 30, 2025 You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed The Italian manager won’t be able to rely on Vinicius Jr. as the Brazilian winger is suspended. Real Madrid’s No. 7 has been handed a yellow card for diving last week against Red Bull Salzburg. In the absence of Vinicius Jr., Brahim Diaz is expected to get the nod to start on the right wing opposite Rodrygo. Three France internationals are expected to start tonight at Guingamp. Defensive midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni is in line to start at the back alongside Antonio Rüdiger. Ferland Mendy will defend Real Madrid’s left flank. In-form centre-forward Kylian Mbappé will lead the line against Brest. Thibaut Courtois – Lucas Vazquez, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy – Dani Ceballos, Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham – Brahim Diaz, Kylian Mbappé, Rodrygo. Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris Saint-Étienne and Brest played out a thrilling 3-3 draw at Stade Geoffrey Guichard with a brace from Ludovic Ajorque and Irvin Cardona Les Verts fought back three times from a losing position to add a little hope to their run-in ambitions of staying up in Ligue 1 McDonald's by the end of the season stumbled thrice to defend their lead and in turn harm their objective to reach the UEFA Conference League Brest wasted little time in showing their superiority in the opening exchanges the visitors took the lead in the 6th minute Cardona was dispossessed high up the pitch by Pereira Lage whose low cross found Ajorque free in the area The former Strasbourg striker made no mistake clinically finishing past Larsonneur to end a two-month goal drought Les Verts would respond with plenty of character A Davitashvili corner was flicked on by Nadé allowing Lucas Stassin to smash home the equaliser at the far post (17')  It was the Belgian’s sixth goal in as many games – continuing a recent excellent run of form another set piece proved to be Saint-Étienne’s undoing A long free-kick from the right was completely misjudged by Larsonneur allowing Abdallah Sima to nod into an empty net to restore Brest’s lead (25') It was another Davitashvili corner that caused panic with Cardona arriving at the near post to flick a powerful header past Bizot for 2-2 (34').The free-flowing goals wouldn't stop there: Pereira Lage’s delivery from a freekick was met by Ajorque who outjumped everyone to guide a firm header into the net 3-2 Brest at the break in what was a breathless opening 45 minutes the second period began with a more controlled tempo Brest looked the more composed of the two sides although Saint-Étienne came out with better pressing A near-miss from Camara on a whipped Lala cross and a gutsy run from Nadé leading to a corner hinted at danger Ajorque would have to leave the pitch after suffering a gash to his right knee before his substitute Mama Baldé would rattle the bar with a superb volley just seconds after coming on the pitch Les Pirates would come to regret that miss as Sainté would once again claw their way back into the game It was another moment of class from Irvin Cardona: After being fed through on goal the Frenchman controlled well and lobbed in superbly over Bizot and got his side back on level terms (80') Les Verts gave everything to push in the final minutes of the game as Appiah's cross found Zuriko Davitashvili whose header rattled the crossbar Les Pirates had one last counter attack as Mahdi Camara's strike was parried by Larsonneur before Ekwah had to clear off the line in the final seconds of injury time not allowing complacency despite leading 3-0 after the first leg PSG controlled the game's early stages looking to keep the clock ticking while not making the game too stretched Marquinhos clearing off the line from a shot by Mathias Pereira-Lage in the 12th minute PSG was not holding back on their attacking threat looking to put the tie beyond doubt; Khvicha Kvaratskhelia fired just over from the edge of the area with Bradley Barcola smashing in on the near post Bradley. Barcola. ✨#UCL | #PSGSB29 (1-0) pic.twitter.com/wIFMEt4hPv The French champions continued to push forward with the Pirates looking to avoid an embarrassing scoreline Ousmane Dembele and Nuno Mendes created crossing opportunities in the box with Brest doing just enough to clear the ball It got better six minutes before halftime when Kvaratskhelia scored his first Champions League goal in a PSG jersey The Georgian slotted it home from a tight angle after an excellent ground cross from Barcola What it means. #UCL | #PSGSB29 (2-0) pic.twitter.com/vNPryhazkd It was an offense against the defense in the second half with PSG piling on the pressure and looking for more goals with Vitinha guiding one into the bottom corner from the edge of the box resting his top players ahead of the weekend game against Lyon smashing past a defender on the line after good work by Goncalo Ramos another one of those fresh legs that came on Doué 🎩#UCL | #PSGSB29 (4-0) pic.twitter.com/IQfRtliGum with Nuno Mendes (69') bursting into the six-yard box to tap in an Achraf Hakimi cross The home team was not done with the scoring Goncalo Ramos (76') guided in a cross from Doue 👆 @Goncalo88Ramos ⚽️#UCL | #PSGSB29 (6-0) pic.twitter.com/cIw2XUC0xG Senny Mayulu made it seven in the 86th minute with an assist from Kvaratskhelia—seven different goalscorers on the night for Paris Saint-Germain PSG will look to Friday for the Champions League Round of 16 draw where they will face Liverpool or Barcelona ❤️💙#UCL | #PSGSB29 (7-0) pic.twitter.com/AXGwMdCeLs PSG is looking to book its place in the Champions League Round of 16 against Brest today. Kylian Mbappe Suffers Setback In Pursuit Of $57m PSG Payment crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.