Barcelona vs Brest facts

Unbeaten Brest face a stern test of their UEFA Champions League credentials at a buoyant Barcelona side who have won their last three games.

The French side's first-ever European campaign has featured three wins in their first four fixtures, at home to Sturm Graz (2-1), at Salzburg (4-0) and, on Matchday 4, Sparta Praha (2-1) in addition to a 1-1 draw at home to Bayer Leverkusen.

Barcelona lost 2-1 in Monaco on Matchday 1 but have since beaten Young Boys (5-0) and Bayern München (4-1) at home and, in their last fixture, Crvena Zvezda 5-2 away.

This is the teams' first meeting and Brest's first game against a Spanish club.

Form guide

Barcelona

Record vs French clubs: W15 D7 L8 F60 A46
Home record vs French clubs: W9 D2 L3

Barcelona have already lost to French opposition this season, at Monaco on Matchday 1.

That was Barcelona's third successive Champions League game against a club from France after their 2023/24 campaign was ended in the quarter-finals by Paris Saint-Germain. They were 3-2 winners in the first leg in France but went down 1-4 at home to bow out.

That first-leg win against Paris is Barcelona's only victory in their last five matches against French teams – a run that includes three defeats.

The Blaugrana had won four successive games at home to French clubs before losing 1-4 to Paris in the 2020/21 round of 16 first leg (2-5 aggregate), a result that ended their ten-match unbeaten run against Ligue 1 sides at the Camp Nou (W8 D2). Last season's loss to Paris was therefore their second in a row.

This is Barcelona's 29th campaign in the Champions League proper, a competition record they share with Real Madrid. They have featured every season since 2003/04.

The five-time European champions reached the quarter-finals or better every season between 2007/08 and 2019/20, winning the title in 2009, 2011 and 2015, but reached the round of 16 for the first time in three campaigns in 2023/24.

Under Xavi Hernández, Barcelona finished top of their section last season and then beat Napoli in the round of 16 (1-1 a, 3-1 h) before being eliminated by Paris.

Despite this season's victories against Young Boys and Bayern, Barcelona have won only eight of their last 19 home European games, losing six.

The Catalan club were second to Real Madrid in the 2023/24 Liga.

Barcelona replaced Xavi with former Bayern and Germany coach Hansi Flick in the summer.

Brest

This is Brest's first season in the Champions League; indeed, they have never before qualified for European competition.

Hugo Magnetti's 23rd-minute opener against Sturm on Matchday 1 was Brest's first European goal, with Abdallah Sima securing a debut win in the 56th minute.

Sima also scored twice in the 4-0 win at Salzburg in Brest's first away European match.

Leipzig, in 2017, are the only previous club to have made their European debut in the Champions League proper, an honour Brest have shared with Girona this season.

Éric Roy's side secured their place in the competition by finishing third in Ligue 1 in 2023/24 – the club's highest-ever final position. Their 61 points was also a club record.

Les Pirates are the 12th French club to play in the Champions League proper, and the first newcomers since Rennes in 2020/21.

Brest are one of five clubs to be making their Champions League debuts in 2024/25, along with Bologna, Aston Villa, Girona and Slovan Bratislava.

Links and trivia

Have played together:
Raphinha & Romain del Castillo, Jonas Martin (Rennes 2019–20)

Have played in Spain:
Jordan Amavi (Getafe 2022/23)
Jonas Martin (Betis 2016/17)

Have played in France:
Raphinha (Rennes 2019–20)
Jules Koundé (Bordeaux 2013–19)

Marco Bizot won his only Netherlands cap alongside Frenkie de Jong in a 1-1 friendly draw against Spain on 11 November 2020. Eric García, Iñigo Martínez, Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo all featured for the visitors.

Roy made 12 Liga appearances for Rayo Vallecano in 2001/02, the second of them in a 1-1 draw at Barcelona.

Latest news

Barcelona

On Saturday Barcelona conceded twice in the final six minutes to draw 2-2 at Celta Vigo.

Raphinha had opened the scoring with his eighth Liga goal this season – and 13th in all competitions – two more than his 2023/24 total after only 15 games.

Robert Lewandowski was also on target, making it 20 in all club competitions in 2024/25. The Pole's 15 Liga goals this season is four behind his 2023/24 total.

On 10 November, Barcelona suffered their second La Liga defeat of the season, going down 1-0 at Real Sociedad. It was the first match in which they had failed to score since 3 March.

Marc Casadó made his Spain debut as a substitute in a 2-1 UEFA Nations League win in Denmark on 15 November, Dani Olmo setting up the decisive goal.

Three days later Pedri missed a penalty in a 3-2 defeat of Switzerland.

On 14 November 2004, Raphinha scored the goal in Brazil's 1-1 draw against Venezuela in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying.

Lamine Yamal has not played since Matchday 4 due to an ankle problem.

On 13 November Ansu Fati tore his right hamstring in training.

Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen tore the patellar tendon in his right knee in a 5-1 win at Villarreal on 22 September and is likely to be out for several months.

Andreas Christensen has been out since 17 August with an Achilles injury.

Marc Bernal is not expected to play this season after suffering a serious knee injury against Rayo Vallecano on 27 August.

Ronald Araújo has not played since 6 July due to a muscular injury.

Ferran Torres suffered a muscular injury against Alavés on 6 October and has not played since.

Brest

Brest's record in Ligue 1 this season is W4 D1 L7. They went down 3-2 at Monaco on Friday.

That was Brest's seventh league loss of the campaign – equalling their 2023/24 total.

Brest have four clean sheets in their last 14 games in all competitions and only one in the last eight.

Kamory Doumbia scored in Mali's 6-0 CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win against Eswatini on 19 November.

Pierre Lees-Melou was replaced midway through the first half at Monaco due to a leg injury.

Massadio Haïdara (muscle), Romain Faivre (ankle) and Soumaïla Coulibaly (pelvis) all missed Friday's defeat.

Bradley Locko suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in August.

On 7 November, Brest extended defender Brendan Chardonnet's contract until June 2027.