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Auxerre
BrestAuxerre are not just looking for three points this weekend, they are looking for something they have barely had all season: momentum. Will Still got his first Ligue 1 win since his Lens days last time out, a tight 1-0 home win over Nice that finally dragged AJA out of the relegation zone. Now they get the chance to back that up against a Brest side that has been one of the more interesting stories of the early campaign, and the way this fixture sets up, it could be a genuinely absorbing afternoon in Burgundy.
Brest arrive under new manager Julien Lachuer sitting seventh with five points, though they are coming off their first defeat of the season, a narrow 1-0 loss to PSG. They have shown plenty of attacking intent away from home this term, but Auxerre at the Stade de l’Abbe-Deschamps has been a graveyard for them historically, and the hosts will be well aware of that.
This is a Ligue 1 matchday five fixture played at the Stade de l’Abbe-Deschamps in Auxerre. It is a home ground that has started to feel a little more fortress-like in recent weeks, and with AJA desperate to build on last weekend’s result, the atmosphere should be lively. Brest are making the long trip down from Brittany knowing a win would give them back-to-back away victories in the top flight this season.
Still has a few injury headaches to navigate, though the Brest absentee list is also fairly sizeable, so neither side goes into this at full strength.
For Auxerre, Cameron Archer leads the line after scoring the only goal against Nice and is the obvious focal point of Still’s attack. The Southampton loanee has two goals in four games and is starting to look like the main threat. Mamadou Diop earned a clean sheet last weekend and will be looking to prove that was not a one-off.
Auxerre expected: Diop; Makosso, Tuanzebe, Akpa; Sy, Faivre, Danois, Oppegard; Loader, Archer, Lascary
For Brest, Kamory Doumbia has been in exceptional form in the early weeks of the campaign and is the man to watch in the final third. If Chardonnet misses out, Lachuer will need to reshuffle his defensive options, which adds a bit of uncertainty to their back line.
Brest expected: Selvik; Lala, Le Guen, Lloris, Locko; Chotard, Magnetti; Tousart, Doumbia, Mboup; Ajorque
Auxerre’s early season form has been painful to watch. They shipped goals at an alarming rate, and at one stage looked like a side with no real defensive structure or collective belief. The win over Nice changed the mood dramatically. Still had not tasted Ligue 1 victory since he was at Lens the previous season, so that result meant a great deal. The clean sheet was equally important given AJA are conceding at a rate of 2.8 goals per game across their four matches this season, the worst record in the division. One good result does not fix that, but it gave the squad something to build on.
What does help Auxerre here is their home record. They have picked up points in six of their last seven Ligue 1 games at the Stade de l’Abbe-Deschamps and won three of their last four there. That kind of home solidity is exactly what a side under pressure needs, and the crowd will be behind them after last weekend’s win.
Brest have been doing interesting things going forward this season, particularly away from home. In just two away Ligue 1 matches they have scored four goals combined, which is more than they managed in their last seven away games last season put together. That is a dramatic improvement in attacking output on the road. The defeat to PSG was their first of the season and they could not find the net for the first time all campaign, so the shutout will have hurt their confidence a little. Lachuer will want his side to bounce back quickly.
The head to head record between these two at the Stade de l’Abbe-Deschamps is heavily skewed in Auxerre’s favour in recent seasons. Auxerre have won their last two home Ligue 1 meetings against Brest by a 3-0 scoreline each time, and they are unbeaten in three of the last four league encounters at home against Les Pirates. To find the last time Brest won a Ligue 1 match in Burgundy, you have to go all the way back to 2011, when they claimed a narrow 1-0 victory. That is fifteen years without a win on this ground in the top flight, and that kind of record sits in the back of players’ minds whether they admit it or not.
The pattern at this venue has been clear: Brest have tended to find it physically uncomfortable, and Auxerre’s crowd and home advantage has been a genuine factor. Brest will need something special to buck that trend.
The angle here is fairly straightforward. Auxerre have the home advantage, the momentum from last weekend, a strong recent record against this specific opponent at this ground, and a manager who will be desperate to prove the Nice win was not a fluke. Brest are dangerous going forward and Doumbia is in red-hot form, but their away trip to a ground where they have not won in over a decade makes this tricky for them. We are leaning home, with goals likely from at least one end.
Cameron Archer is the standout pick here. He is the team’s top scorer with two goals in four games, he found the net last weekend in the win over Nice, and he looks sharp as a loanee eager to prove his worth. With Auxerre expected to be the dominant side at home and pressing for an early goal to settle the nerves, Archer leading the charge makes a lot of sense.
Over 9.5 corners looks appealing in this one. Brest like to get the ball wide and cross, and Auxerre will be pushing forward with purpose on home soil. Both teams generating attacking play in wide areas should produce a healthy corners count, and with the game likely to open up in the second half, the volume should be there.
Over 2.5 goals is the call. Auxerre’s defensive record this season has been genuinely awful, and while they kept a clean sheet last week, Brest are a different proposition to Nice in terms of forward threat. Doumbia alone is capable of causing problems, and Auxerre will be looking to push forward themselves. Backing goals in this one feels right.
Over 3.5 cards is worth a look. This is a Ligue 1 fixture between a home side fighting to stay up and a visiting team with plenty of pride at stake after their defeat last week. Midfield battles in this division can get feisty quickly, and with Auxerre likely pressing high and Brest looking to counter, the referee should have a busy afternoon managing the tempo.
Yes for both teams to score. Auxerre’s defensive problems have not disappeared overnight, and Brest have shown they can find the net on the road. At the same time, Auxerre have attacking quality through Archer and the home crowd will drive them forward. A clean sheet for either side seems unlikely given the respective vulnerabilities at the back.
| Market | Selection |
|---|---|
| Match Result | Auxerre to Win |
| Both Teams To Score | Yes |
| First Goalscorer | Cameron Archer |
Auxerre winning while both sides find the net fits the pattern of this fixture perfectly, and Archer netting first ties it all together given his current form and role as the focal point of the home attack.
Auxerre to win 2-1. Still gets back-to-back Ligue 1 wins for the first time in his tenure at the club, Archer gets on the scoresheet again, and Brest show enough quality to grab one but ultimately cannot overcome the home advantage and that long-standing hoodoo at this ground.
Brest are a good side and Doumbia will cause problems, but Auxerre have the crowd, the momentum, and the historical edge at the Stade de l’Abbe-Deschamps. On current form and with the fixture context working in their favour, the hosts deserve to be backed here.