The Matchday 29 clash in Ligue 1 between Saint-Etienne and Brest will take place on April 13 at the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium. Saint-Etienne vs. Brest: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Saint-Etienne
After a heavy 1-6 defeat to PSG, the team lost to Lens 0-1 in the previous round. This loss marked Saint-Etienne's 17th defeat since returning to Ligue 1 (6 wins, 5 draws), with only Montpellier losing more this season (21). As a result, the club is in the relegation zone, sitting in 17th place, four points behind the safety of 15th. Notably, Saint-Etienne has the worst defense this Ligue 1 season, alongside Montpellier, with both conceding 64 goals.
- The club has scored in 6 of their last 7 Ligue 1 matches.
- They have not won at home in 5 matches in this tournament (2 draws, 3 losses).
- Both teams scored in 5 of Saint-Etienne's last 6 home Ligue 1 matches.
Predicted lineup for Saint-Etienne (4-3-3)
Gauthier Larsonneur – Leo Petro, Mickael Nade, Maxime Bernauer, Yvann Maçon – Florian Tardieu, Pierre-Emmanuel Ekwah, Benjamin Bouchouari – Zuriko Davitashvili, Irvin Cardona, Lucas Stassin.
Brest
Brest, on the other hand, secured their second consecutive victory in Ligue 1, defeating Monaco 2-1 in the last match. The club is now unbeaten in four matches in this tournament (3 wins, 1 draw), marking their longest unbeaten run this Ligue 1 season. Thanks to this successful streak, the team has climbed to 8th position in the Ligue 1 standings, reducing the gap to the European competition zone to four points. Additionally, in the first round, Brest confidently defeated Saint-Etienne 4-0.
- The team has avoided defeat in 10 of their last 12 Ligue 1 matches (7 wins, 3 draws).
- The number "2" appeared in the final score of 10 of Brest's last 13 league matches.
- The club scored first in 5 of their last 6 away matches in the French elite league.
Predicted lineup for Brest (4-3-3)
Marco Bizot – Kenny Lala, Brendan Chardonnet, Abdoulaye Ndiaye, Massadio Haidara – Pierre Lees-Melou, Mahdi Camara, Hugo Magnetti – Mathias Pereira Lage, Ludovic Ajorque, Abdallah Sima.
Referee
Abdelatif Kherradji (France)
Matches – 13 (Ligue 1, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 41;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.1;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 26;
Penalties – 31%.
Match Prediction: Saint-Etienne vs. Brest
The hosts find themselves in a difficult position following two consecutive league defeats, with their gap from the safety of 15th place increasing. Overall, Saint-Etienne's poor defensive performance has been a major issue this season, managing to keep a clean sheet in only 4 of 28 Ligue 1 matches. However, their attack has been decent, regularly finding the back of the net. Prior to the last round, Eirik Horneland's side had scored in 6 consecutive Ligue 1 matches, including games against Marseille and PSG. They should have scored against Lens as well, with an xG of 1.61 in the last round.
Brest, meanwhile, does not possess an impenetrable defense and regularly scores, playing an attacking style. The statistics back this up, with Brest having scored and conceded almost equal numbers of goals this season – 44:43. I expect goals from both teams in the upcoming match. Both teams scored in 5 of Saint-Etienne's last 6 home Ligue 1 matches and in 7 of Brest's last 11 away matches in this tournament. Additionally, the upcoming opponents have scored against each other in 5 of their last 7 league meetings.
Therefore, my prediction is: Both teams to score – Yes