Brest vs PSG: Ligue 1 Champions Down in Dumps

• Paris Saint-Germain were eliminated from the Champions League on Wednesday

• Another season of failure in continental competition is a major blow to PSG

• Christophe Galtier’s side will be looking to return to winning ways against Brest

Brest vs PSG Odds

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Brest vs PSG Pick

This will not necessarily be a straightforward game for the Ligue 1 champions, but they should still be able to emerge triumphant this weekend.

Back PSG to beat Brest and both teams to score. (+190)

Brest vs PSG Prediction

Champions League Disappointment Overshadows All for PSG

Déjà vu is a French phrase, which is just as well. Paris Saint-Germain experienced the phenomenon this week when they crashed out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage once again.

A 2-0 defeat by Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, and a 3-0 aggregate loss overall, means PSG’s burning desire to be crowned European champions for the first time remains unsated. 

They have now fallen at the first hurdle in the knockout stage in four of the last six seasons, which shows PSG are yet to establish themselves as a major force in the competition. Given how much money they have spent under their Qatari owners, that represents a colossal failure.

The problems run deep. Sure, Christophe Galtier has not always covered himself in glory since he took charge at the Parc des Princes last summer. But it cannot always be the manager’s fault. 

Galtier follows Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, Unai Emery, Laurent Blanc, and Carlo Ancelotti in having failed to deliver the Champions League. That list contains some top managers - and three managers who have won continental competitions elsewhere.

The main issue is that PSG do not have any sort of identity. Theirs is a superstar-led project. In a team sport like soccer, that is not enough. PSG might have world-class individuals at their disposal, but they have continually been beaten by superior collective units.

The club would be better off if it abandoned its Harlem Globetrotters approach in favor of one built around youth. The Paris metropolitan area is one of the foremost hotbeds in the world when it comes to developing young soccer players. Yet one of the city’s most notable alumni, Kingsley Coman, was lining up for Bayern Munich rather than PSG on Wednesday.

New Manager Roy Has Given Brest Hope in Relegation Battle

This is a particularly fraught Ligue 1 relegation battle. France’s top flight is following the lead of Germany’s Bundesliga by slimming down from 20 teams to 18 in time for next season. 

That means four teams will be automatically demoted from the division this term. That stands in stark contrast to recent campaigns when only two went down automatically and the third-bottom team entered the relegation play-offs, where they met (and often beat) a promotion hopeful from Ligue 2.

One of the four spots will almost certainly be filled by Angers, who are 12 points adrift of safety with 12 rounds of fixtures remaining. 

It then looks like a six-way battle to avoid the three remaining places. Auxerre, Ajaccio, and Troyes are below the dreaded dotted line as things stand, but Strasbourg, Brest, and Nantes are by no means safe - and the sextet are separated by just eight points heading into the weekend.

Brest are only one point clear of the bottom four, but that represents an improvement from their position a few weeks ago. In the middle of January, they were second-bottom of the standings. But in a solid rather than spectacular way, Eric Roy has lifted the team out of the drop zone since taking charge at the start of the year.

Brest have lost only three of his nine games at the helm, and only one of those was by more than a one-goal margin. Roy’s side have been competitive in virtually every game they have contested since he took the reins, boosting their hopes of survival.

PSG Must Bounce Back but There Could Be a European Hangover

“It's really too early to talk about it. My future obviously depends on my sports management and my president,” Galtier said when quizzed on his position after the 2-0 defeat at the Allianz Arena.

“There is a disappointment, that's how it is. The club pinned a lot of hopes on this competition. I'm staying the course, I'm still focused on the end of the season with a lot of energy and determination.”

Galtier led Lille to Ligue 1 title at the expense of PSG in 2021, so he knows better than anyone that the club from the capital are not unbeatable back home. However, it would be a huge surprise if PSG did not get over the line this season.

Heading into Sunday’s trip to the Stade Francis Le Ble, the Parisians are eight points clear of Marseille at the summit of the standings. It is a margin their arch-rivals will struggle to overturn. But after once again coming up short in the Champions League, even a title triumph would not prevent this being another disappointing campaign.

Brest will be looking to compound PSG’s misery. This might actually be a good time to play the champions, who will presumably still be smarting from the loss to Bayern.

Brest have scored in six of their last eight Ligue 1 encounters, and they may well do so again this weekend. However, PSG should find a way to emerge victorious nonetheless. 

How to Watch Brest vs PSG

• Teams: Brest vs PSG

• Location: Stade Francis Le Ble, Brest, France

• Date and Time: Mar. 11, 2023, 3 p.m. EST 

• How to Watch: beIN SPORTS