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Sports Mole previews Saturday's Ligue 1 clash between Brest and Paris Saint-Germain, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Ligue 1 strugglers Brest host a deflated Paris Saint-Germain in the French top flight on Saturday night.

While Brest come into the contest buoyed by their first victory since January, PSG bowed out of the Champions League with a whimper at the hands of Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.

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Match preview

February may be the shortest month of the year, but it certainly dragged on for a Brest team that failed to win a single game during this period.

Eric Roy, the third individual to patrol Brest's dugout this season, steered his side to a much-needed 1-0 win against fellow strugglers Strasbourg last weekend to get March off to a better start.

Franck Honorat drilled the only goal of a cagey game into the bottom corner at Strasbourg's Stade de la Meinau, lifting Brest out of the relegation zone - although, they remain well and truly embroiled in a scrap at the foot of the table, sitting just one point above the bottom four.

Just two of Brest's home matches all season have ended in victory; against 19th-placed Troyes just before the World Cup break and rock-bottom Angers at the end of January.

Oddly enough, Brest have had more joy on the road this term and only lost 1-0 to PSG on their visit to Paris in September.

However, Brest have lost their previous 12 meetings with PSG across all competitions, last earning a victory against the capital side in 1985 - before every member of the current squad was born.

Christophe Galtier may be grateful for a favourable foe given the slump his side have endured since the turn of the year - PSG lost just four games across all competitions in 2022 but have suffered six defeats this calendar year.

Trailing Bayern by a single goal from the first leg in Paris, PSG went to the Allianz Arena on Wednesday with every chance of advancing to the Champions League quarter-finals but were effectively muzzled by the Bavarians, attempting just two shots on target as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat.

That loss sent PSG limping out of the Champions League in the round of 16 for the fifth time in the last seven seasons, a ruinous record which does not reflect the eye-watering fees lavished on Galtier's squad.

The combined weekly salary of PSG's playing staff is estimated to be more than the annual budget for Brest's entire squad - Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar each earn more in a fortnight than the yearly sum Brest give to their best-paid player, Pierre Lees-Melou.

Despite this investment, PSG have lost five of their nine away games since the World Cup and have kept just one clean sheet in their last 10 matches at any venue.

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Team News

Mahdi Camara was sent off while sitting on Brest's bench against Lille a fortnight ago and is set to serve another game of his suspension this weekend, while Jeremy Le Douaron is a doubt after limping off against Strasbourg.

January arrivals Kenny Lala (groin) and Felix Lemarechal (ankle) are expected to remain sidelined this weekend, while the forward-thinking duo of Mathias Pereira Lage and Karamoko Dembele are struggling with ankle problems.

The injury issues facing Galtier continued to tot up in the first 45 minutes of PSG's defeat to Bayern Munich, as the coach lost both Marquinhos (rib) and Nordi Mukiele (hamstring) before the second half.

Neymar missed the contest entirely after sustaining a season-ending ankle injury during a bonkers 4-3 victory for PSG over Lille last month.

Presnel Kimpembe is expected to join Neymar on the sidelines for the rest of the campaign as he recovers from an Achilles tendon issue, while Renato Sanches made the bench against Bayern but was not used after missing the past month with a hamstring problem.

Brest possible starting lineup:
Bizot; Fadiga, Dari, Brassier, Duverne; Belkebla, Lees-Melou, Magnetti; Honorat, Mounie, Del Castillo

Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Pereira, Ramos, Bitshiabu; Hakimi, Zaire-Emery, Verratti, Vitinha, Mendes; Messi, Mbappe

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We say: Brest 1-3 Paris Saint-Germain

While the premature Champions League exit may well have a significant impact on PSG - more specifically, PSG's manager - this summer, the capital outfit do not have a history of letting European disappointment seep into domestic proceedings.

PSG are unbeaten in their last five league matches immediately following their Champions League elimination, a run the capital club are expected to extend when they visit Brest, one of Ligue 1's worst home sides, this weekend.


For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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