European euphoria far from over for Stade Brestois. At least, that’s what they’re hoping for. They face Sparta Prague on Wednesday (9pm) in the fourth round of the Champions League, “the Pirates” could go down in history. Already well under wayA win at the Letna stadium would virtually guarantee Brest a place in the Champions League play-offs, if not better. Before the match, Opta estimates that Eric Roy’s side already have an 87% chance of finishing in the top 24, and with a win, their combined 10 points would give them a 99% chance of finishing in the top 24. And on paper, against the “Rudi”Brest are far from the outsiders.

A team struggling in the league

Although on paper the two teams are more or less equal, the Czechs will benefit from the boiling support of their home crowd in Letna. But Brest has already shown its qualities away from home, as demonstrated by its brilliant success in Salzburg (0-4). On current form, the Finisterians conceded a home defeat to Nice (0-1) and their opponents remain on a poor run of form. The two-time defending Fortuna Liga champions have suffered back-to-back defeats, first at Viktoria Plzen (1-0), then at home to Banik (1-3). They now lie 3rd in the league, nine points behind leaders and rivals Slavia Prague. In the Champions League, things are far from better. Although they had already won against Salzburg (3-0) and drawn convincingly against Stuttgart (1-1) on the final day, Lars Friis’s men had to endure a tough test from Manchester City (5-0). Three points behind their opponents, Sparta are counting on their experience to put a stop to Brittany’s enthusiasm and close the gap in the standings.

All for the Champions League

At Stade Brestois, it’s night and day between Ligue 1 and the Champions League. Although they have already suffered five defeats this season, Eric Roy’s men are one of only nine clubs still unbeaten in the Champions League. Although SB29’s intentions were initially unclear as to the hierarchy between the league and the European Cup, they’ve now made no secret of the fact that their sights are set firmly on the Champions League. “Now, the objective is qualification”. said Eric Roy after the draw against Leverkusen (1-1). “It’s true that seven points after three games, we wouldn’t have believed it. We would have signed with both hands. This change in status is reflected in the coach’s choices, and barring any surprises, the club should succeed in maintaining its position in Ligue 1 this year, which is why, in the last few games, the team’s results have been so impressive. (ed. against Reims, Brest fielded four regular players against the Bundesliga champions). a number of changes have been made to the squad to give the key players a break before the European matches.

Sima returns to Prague

He is one of the faces of Brest’s prowess. Having arrived this summer on loan from Brighton, the Senegalese winger has made Brest very happy. In the Champions League, the winger has already scored three goals in three games. Injured in the last game against Leverkusen, he is one of Brest’s doubtful players, along with Bradley Locko and Luc Zogbé. Although he didn’t take part in the last two Ligue 1 matches, he should at least be on the bench in Prague. A return to a city he knows well, having arrived in 2020 at the age of 19 in complete anonymity at FC Silon Taborsko in the Czech third division, Abdallah Sima caught the eye of a major national club. Just five months later, he was recruited by Slavia Prague, Sparta’s arch-rivals. A team in which he revealed himself, after a successful season, he was sold for eight million euros to Brighton. Whether as a starter or on the bench, the Senegalese hopes to delight both Breton and Slavia fans.