WEven though they were humiliated by attacking Monaco at the Stade Louis II on Friday evening, as Brest prepared for the first ‘big test’ of their first Champions League campaign against Barcelona (Bayer Leverkusen notwithstanding), it is worth reflecting thoughts on Bretons’ progress so far and a look at what Tuesday’s match could look like given some unfortunate injury news for Éric Roy’s side.

Despite playing playfully against a Monaco side who have been hugely impressive this season, Brest lost 3-2, but more importantly, they lost Pierre Lees-Melou. The experienced midfielder had only recently returned from injury and his positive influence on the team was palpable in the draw against Leverkusen.

After the match, Roy said the combination of the result and Lees-Melou’s injury was “a nightmare night”, warning that despite their early success in the Champions League (three wins and a draw in their first four matches), could be battling relegation at the end of the season if they fail to overcome a downward spiral in their domestic form which has seen them lose their last three matches.

Before returning to Ligue 1 action against an equally out of control Strasbourg next weekend, Roy and his players will face a Barcelona team that, if not the juggernaut of Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi, at the very least, a team that has shown more cohesion and danger this season than in recent campaigns. With Robert Lewandowski turning back the years, Lamine Yamal (excluded from this match) staking his claim as the most talented teenager in the world and Raphinha proving himself as a viable centre, they are a powerful team for the future after having an opening night of their own shaken off. defeat at Monaco by scoring fourteen goals in victories over Young Boys, Bayern Munich and Red Star Belgrade.

Admittedly, some enthusiasm is over La Blaugrana‘s strong start was dampened by a domestic defeat to Real Sociedad and Saturday’s draw against struggling Celta Vigo. But they still remain a very strong side, and one that will no doubt be keen to put an end to Brest’s Cinderella story.

However, as the first four games have shown, it would be foolish to discount Roy’s side, even if Lees-Melou is unlikely to return this calendar year. Although the 31-year-old’s metronomic passing and assured midfield presence will be missed, Roy will restore other key elements of his team, including the wily defender Massadio Haïdara, a smart signing on a free transfer from Lens, and the central midfielder. -back Soumaïla Coulibaly and Romain Del Castillo, a player who was the team’s top scorer last year but has struggled with form and injuries this year.

Not that those absences seem to have deterred the team’s attitude. Speaking to L’Équipe, veteran midfielder Jonas Martin claimed that instead of Sparta Prague and Sturm Graz, sides they have conveniently dispatched in Europe, this – an evening in Barcelona, ​​albeit not at the Camp Nou – is something It has been eagerly awaited since the draw in August.

Speaking about Tuesday’s match (and a looming meeting with Real Madrid in January), 34-year-old Martin stressed that this would not be a match won on talent, but on desire and passion, something that is clearly was reflected in the team under Roy.

“We are a bit crazy on the pitch, you only have to see us in training, you only complain because we are competitors, we hate defeat. We have managed to combine work, intensity, character and the talent of some; the coach often says that we are pirates and we show that on the field,” said Martin.

That madness, a kind of controlled chaos, if not in a tactical sense then at least in spirit – it was even reflected by Roy himself on Friday, when the manager was sent off after a clash between Ludovic Ajorque and Monaco’s Soungoutou Magassa for had thrown his hat. Obviously Roy’s (understandable) frustration with domestic results is palpable, but that sense of playing on the proverbial edge has served his side well in Europe, allowing them to exceed expectations even if their lack of consistent recruitment has frustrated them made in the competition. .

It is not only Roy’s fiery character that helped, but also the balance he brings to this. Despite the frustration of losing both Lees-Melou and Friday’s match, he was able to joke about the Champions League and say about Barcelona: “We are ready for a small team; we will try not to have a superiority complex.”

That balance between passion and levity has served Roy well, despite the team losing a number of key players in the summer and a long-term injury to the promising Bradley Locko. So while there is certainly frustration with the team’s domestic problems, if the previous four European games are anything to go by, there are plenty of reasons to expect more from this enterprising team.

Talk points

Don’t look now, but Franck Haise is performing too well again. Despite the fact that his Nice team was missing no fewer than six key players due to injury, Les Aiglons extended what is now an eight-match unbeaten run against Strasbourg on Sunday evening, winning 2-1. Admittedly, Liam Rosenior’s young side had their own absences, but the margin flattered the visitors, who struggled to get a grip on the match despite Nice surprisingly switching to a back four at the eleventh hour. While the team has yet to make any major strides in Europe, Haise’s commitment to attacking football – which was always on display during his time at the helm of Lens – looks set to once again bring another side to power.

What a season Hamed Junior Traorè is having. We discussed Christophe Pélissier’s ability to make his side defy the odds ahead of the international break, and while the manager must rightly take credit for the team’s overall play, Traorè remains a revelation for Auxerre. The Bournemouth loanee has now scored six goals in his last eight games after scoring a dramatic late winner against Angers on Sunday. Admittedly, if Auxerre harbor serious ambitions to play in Europe, they would have to manage Angers more skillfully, but the result will certainly be welcome after an all-too-short stay in the top division last time.

Finally, will things get worse for Stade Rennais before they get better? The Bretons attempted to reverse their deficit this season by signing Jorge Sampaoli, but the experienced manager’s influence appears to have made little difference on the evidence on display against Lille. Despite Les Dogues By resting several key players (Angel Gomes, Thomas Meunier), Rennes managed just one shot on target. There are more winnable matches on the horizon against the likes of Nantes and Angers, but these are derby matches and you can hardly count on them being easy chances to pick up points.