Aiming to continue an unbeaten streak and break into the top four of the Ligue 1 table, Brest will travel to take on Nantes on Sunday.

The visitors currently sit fifth with three wins from their last four outings, while the hosts are on the back of a tough run which has seen them drop to ninth spot in France's top flight.

Match preview

Nantes head into the weekend with the aim of continuing a positive to life under the new management of Jocelyn Gourvennec, following the departure of Pierre Aristouy late last month.

After only avoiding relegation on the final day of last season, they did enjoy a positive start to the new campaign, amassing 14 points from their first nine outings, but a dip in form in November spelled the end for Aristouy as they suffered three straight defeats heading into the international break before only managing a point from a goalless draw at home to Le Havre on their return to action.

Gourvennec then took the reins and enjoyed an ideal start, as La Maison Jaune made a return to winning ways at home to second-placed Nice at the start of December, as Florent Mollet netted the only goal of the game in the 25th minute.

An unenviable trip to league leaders Paris Saint-Germain then followed last weekend, and despite drawing level through Mostafa Mohamed early in the second half after Bradley Barcola's opener, Nantes eventually had to leave empty-handed as Randal Kolo Muani restored the hosts' lead seven minutes from time to snatch all three points.

Still with a degree of optimism to take from that result, having put up two improved displays against the top two under their new boss, La Maison Jaune will be keen to make a return to winning ways on home turf at the weekend in their bid to narrow the five-point gap to the top eight.

They face another tough task, though, as Brest arrive aiming to continue a fine run and crack the top four on Sunday, after initially managing just 15 points from their first 11 games of the term.

That start culminated in three straight defeats prior to the international break, but Eric Roy's side have returned in fine form, starting with a 3-1 victory away at Montpellier and a 3-0 triumph at home to Clermont, with Mathias Pereira Lage scoring in both and Romain Del Castillo netting a brace in the latter.

A meeting with Strasbourg then followed, and Les Pirates had to settle for a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw, as they were pegged back 10 minutes from time following Jeremy Le Douaron's opener, before most recently travelling to take on Metz and making a swift return to winning ways.

That game remained goalless for 75 minutes, but Le Douaron eventually popped up with what turned out to be the winner, sealing his side's seventh three-point haul of the campaign and continuing their climb up the top flight.

Having impressively moved through the pack, surpassing Sunday's hosts in the process, Brest now find themselves fifth in Ligue 1 with just a two-point gap up to fourth-placed Lille, and they will now go in search of a fourth victory in a five-match span to further strengthen their position this weekend.

Team News

While Nantes may have wished to line up with an unchanged starting XI from their valiant display away at Paris Saint-Germain, they will be unable to call on defender Jean-Kevin Duverne due to a suspension, meaning Quentin Merlin will likely come in to join Marcus Coco, Eray Comert and Jean-Charles Castelletto in a back four.

At the other end of the pitch, their line will again be led by Mostafa Mohamed, who netted his sixth goal of the season at the Parc des Princes, while Moses Simon is another danger man on the left wing.

Former Tottenham Hotspur man Moussa Sissoko will offer further support through the centre, while Samuel Moutoussamy and Douglas Augusto will continue to partner up in the engine room in their 4-2-3-1 shape.

Brest on the other hand, will likely be unchanged from their 1-0 win over Metz last time out, with Jordan Amavi and Achraf Dari likely remaining sidelined by injuries.

Brendan Chardonnet and Lilian Brassier will again partner up in the middle of a back four, while Hugo Magnetti and Mahdi Camara and Pierre Lees-Melou are all bound to keep their places in midfield.

Steve Mounie should continue to spearhead the attack, while wingers Mathias Pereira Lage and Bilal Brahimi were preferred over Romain Del Castillo and Jeremy Le Douaron, with the latter hoping to earn a start after scoring their winner off the bench last weekend.

Nantes possible starting lineup:
Lafont; Coco, Comert, Castelletto, Merlin; Moutoussamy, Augusto; Mollet, Sissoko, Simon; Mohamed

Brest possible starting lineup:
Bizot; Lala, Chardonnet, Brassier, Locko; Magnetti, Lees-Melou, Camara; Le Douaron, Mounie, Brahimi

We say: Nantes 1-1 Brest

In the midst of a fine run of form, Brest certainly pose a major threat to Nantes, but the hosts have looked much-improved under new management and put up two impressive displays against high-flying opposition.

With home advantage, we fancy Gourvennec's men to take a creditable share of the spoils on Sunday.


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