Meeting for the first time on the Ligue 1 stage, Brest welcome Paris FC to Stade Francis-Le Ble in Brittany for a Sunday matinee affair.
A 3-1 defeat at Lens the last time out kept Les Pirates winless on the season, while the side from Paris claimed their first victory of the new campaign, 3-2 over Metz.
Match preview
For a second successive occasion, Brest have begun a Ligue 1 campaign poorly, currently one of two teams in the top flight that have yet to earn a victory alongside Metz.
Similarly to last season, their defending has been rather suspect, with Eric Roy’s men conceding eight goals after three matchdays, tied with Paris FC for the most in the competition.
Dating back to the previous campaign, they have conceded a combined 14 goals in their last four Ligue 1 matches, while scoring only three themselves.
A draw or defeat this weekend would equal their longest stretch without a triumph at Stade Francis-Le Ble from last season (two games).
At the same time, this team have rarely come away empty-handed in Brittany, suffering just one defeat in their previous eight Ligue 1 home fixtures (3-1 versus Lens in April).
Stade Brestois have never lost a home game at any level to their upcoming opponents, with their last victory against them at Stade Francis-Le Ble occurring in a 2016 Ligue 2 encounter (1-0).
It took a lot of persistence, but Paris FC overcame a resilient Metz side to claim their first triumph in the top flight in over 40 years (1979)
On Sunday, they can claim their first Ligue 1 triumph away from home since October 1978 when they came from behind to beat Bordeaux 2-1.
Doing so would also mark the first time since 1978 that this team will have claimed consecutive victories in the top-flight, winning three in a row between October and November of that year.
Stephane Gilli’s side are winless in their last three league fixtures away from home, dating back to their previous Ligue 2 campaign, while conceding in eight consecutive domestic affairs.
Defending played a key role in their Ligue 2 promotion last season, as they allowed the second-fewest goals in that competition, but that has held them back in the top-flight so far.
Les Parisiens have come away with points in their previous two visits to Stade Francis-Le Ble, but were leading at the half in both instances, only to walk away with a 1-1 draw.
