PSG’s dominance over the years has made Ligue 1 a pretty one-sided league. The capital-based club has brought some of the best players in the world. They have a star-studded team and often confirm their league title way before the clubs in the other top five leagues. Kylian Mbappe currently plays for the club. He was once a teammate with Lionel Messi and Neymar at PSG.
Other French giants like Lyon, Marseille, Lille and Monaco have been the teams capable enough to compete with PSG. However, they also lose their top talents to other clubs and perform inconsistently.
This season, one team has emerged as the contenders for the 2023-24 title. Eric Roy’s Brest are sitting second in the Ligue 1 and pushing to secure a place in Europe. Catching PSG won’t be easy for them but to take them to the wire will be on the mind of the players. The gap between the top and second teams is nine points. Brest are on a dream run of 12 match-unbeaten streak. Let’s take a look at how this streak can take them to Europe next season.
Sturdy defence
In the current season, Brest have played 23 games. The team has won 12 games, drawn seven and lost four in the current season. Their attack has scored 34 goals and the defence has conceded 18. In the last 12 games, the team has won eight matches and drawn the remaining four.
One of the main reasons behind this unbeaten run is the sturdy defence of the team. Brest players have been effective in contesting defensive duels and have a 64% win rate. Their aerial duels win rate is less than 50%. However, the team has managed to keep 11 clean sheets and making progress in the league.
Before the unbeaten streak started, Brest conceded 13 goals in 11 games. In the last 12 matches, the team has only allowed to slip in five goals. The above shot map shows that the opposition players have failed to penetrate the six-yard box.
The last 12 games have seen some heroic performances from the defence and the goalkeeper. Brest have kept eight clean sheets during this time. The defenders have blocked 34 shots and this shows how much each and every individual has contributed to the success of the team. Some remarkable saves and blocks have denied the opposition.
Netting crucial goals
23 goals have been scored in these 12 matches. The average is much better than 11 goals in the first 11 matches. Brest averages 33.6 positional attacks and 1.4 counterattacks per match. They take around 13.7 shots per game and manage to hit the target 35% of the time. The shot map shows that the team has managed to get into scoring positions around the six-yard box.
In addition to this are the counter-pressing and dangerous recoveries made by the team. The counter-pressing recoveries show that Brest likes to put pressure on the opposition’s defence and wins back the ball at the edge of the final third.
Brest have a chance to make it to the Champions League. They need to show the same level of consistency and end the last phase of the season on a high.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine