Brest vs PSV Eindhoven facts

Brest are aiming to recover from their first-ever European defeat as a revitalised PSV Eindhoven come to France on UEFA Champions League Matchday 6.

The Ligue 1 debutants were beaten in their last game, 3-0 at Barcelona, but have ten points after winning three of their first four matches. PSV are on eight points having lost on Matchday 1 before two draws and wins in their last two games, staging a remarkable recovery to beat Shakhtar Donetsk 3-2 in Eindhoven on Matchday 5 – a game in which they had trailed by two goals until the 87th minute.

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

Form guide

Brest

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

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.

The French side were 2-1 winners at home to Sturm Graz on Matchday 1 before a 1-1 draw against German champions Bayer Leverkusen in last home fixture, on Matchday 3.

PSV

Record vs French clubs: W11 D17 L11 F38 A41
Away record vs French clubs: W2 D11 L7

This is PSV's second game in France in the 2024/25 league phase; they drew 1-1 at Paris Saint-Germain on Matchday 3.

PSV also drew 1-1 at Lens in last season's group stage, winning 1-0 at home; this season's draw in Paris was their fifth in succession in France, since a 3-0 group stage loss at Marseille in November 2008. That is one of only two defeats in their last 13 away games against Ligue 1 opponents (W2 D9).

A 2-1 home reverse against Monaco in the 2021/22 Europa League group stage is PSV's only loss in nine games with French teams, home and away (W3 D5).

This is PSV's 18th appearance in the Champions League proper – level with Ajax's Dutch record – and a second in succession.

The Eindhoven club returned to the group stage last season for the first time since 2018/19, finishing second behind Arsenal in Group B only to lose out to eventual finalists Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16 (1-1 h, 0-2 a).

That was PSV's first knockout appearance since 2015/16, and just the fifth time they had progressed beyond the initial Champions League group stage.

The 1-0 home victory against Lens on Matchday 4 last season ended PSV's 15-game run without a win in the Champions League group stage, since a 2-1 defeat of CSKA Moskva on Matchday 6 in 2015/16.

A 3-2 Matchday 5 win in Seville last season is PSV's only success in their last 19 away matches in the Champions League proper (D6 L12), going back to a 1-0 victory at CSKA on 27 November 2007; this season they have lost 1-3 at Juventus before drawing at Paris.

The Eindhoven side have won five of their last 17 European away games, losing five.

This is the first time PSV have qualified directly for the Champions League proper since 2016/17.

Having finished second in the Eredivisie for three successive seasons, PSV claimed their first league title since 2017/18. Peter Bosz's side won 29 of their 34 league games, losing only one, their final tally of 91 points eclipsing Ajax's previous record of 89 set in 1997/98.

Links and trivia

Have played in France:
Walter Benítez (Nice 2016–22)
Olivier Boscagli (Nice 2013–19, Nîmes 2017/18 loan)

Bosz was Lyon coach between May 2021 and October 2022. His first match in charge was a 1-1 draw at home to Brest on 7 August 2021; Bosz's side lost the away fixture 2-1.

Latest news

Brest

Brest's record in Ligue 1 this season is W5 D1 L8. They were 3-1 winners at home against Strasbourg on 30 November but went down by the same scoreline at LOSC Lille on Friday.

That was Brest's eighth league loss of the campaign – one more than their 2023/24 total.

Les Pirates have lost four of their last five games in all competitions and five of the last seven.

Brest have four clean sheets in their last 17 games in all competitions and none in the last ten.

Kenny Lala (hamstring) and Romain Faivre (ankle) both missed Friday's defeat, as did Jonas Martin with a muscle problem.

Pierre Lees-Melou was replaced midway through the first half of a 3-2 loss at Monaco on 22 November due to a leg injury and has not played since.

Soumaïla Coulibaly has missed Brest's last five matches due to a pelvis injury.

Bradley Locko suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in August.

PSV

PSV have won their last six games in all competitions, scoring 26 goals and conceding five.

Friday's 6-1 home victory against Twente made it 56 goals in this season's Eredivisie for PSV, the highest total for any side after 15 games since their 64 in 1987/88.

Ismael Saibari scored twice and provided two assists; he has seven goals in his last seven games for club and country.

A 3-2 loss at Ajax on 2 November is one of just two Eredivisie defeats in PSV's last 65 matches (W55 D8), the other a 3-1 reverse at NEC Nijmegen on 30 March that was their only league loss in 2023/24.

The Eindhoven club have scored in their last 65 Eredivisie matches – a total of 209 goals – surpassing their own league record of 54 between October 2014 and March 2016.

PSV have won 20 of their last 22 league games.

Joey Veerman was a late substitute in a 5-2 win at Utrecht on 1 December, his first appearance since suffering a groin injury on 28 September.

Jerdy Schouten has not played since going off at half-time in a 2-1 win at AZ Alkmaar on 19 October with a muscle injury although he was on the bench on Friday.

Couhaib Driouech has missed the last three games with an ankle problem.

Adamo Nagalo (out since 25 October, shoulder) has also been sidelined while Sergiño Dest has not played since suffering a knee injury in May.