Paris Saint-Germain welcome Brest to the Parc des Princes, looking to finish what they started in the first leg of their Champions League knockout playoff. With a commanding 3-0 lead from last week’s clash, this should be nothing more than a formality for the Parisians—but football has a way of surprising us.
PSG have been relentless, winning 24 of their last 34 matches and proving dominant at home in the Champions League with two victories in their last four outings. Brest, meanwhile, face an uphill battle. With four losses in their last six Champions League matches, they arrive in Paris needing a miracle. However, they have shown glimpses of resilience, picking up two wins in their recent four away league fixtures.
The odds are stacked against Brest, and overturning a three-goal deficit at the Parc des Princes seems like an impossible mission. But never underestimate a team with nothing to lose.
Paris Saint-Germain stand on the brink of the Champions League last 16, and only Brest stand in their way—though after a 3-0 thrashing in the first leg, the visitors are merely clinging to hope. With a commanding lead from their dominant display last week, Les Parisiens have one foot firmly in the next round, where a blockbuster clash against either Liverpool or Barcelona awaits.
PSG’s record in these situations is nothing short of formidable. They have won the first leg of a European tie away from home 19 times—and in 17 of those instances, they sealed progression with ease. The only exception? That infamous collapse against Manchester United in 2018-19. But history is not on Brest’s side—no team has ever overturned a three-goal deficit from a first-leg home defeat in the Champions League knockout stage.
If Brest’s task wasn’t already near impossible, they will now have to deal with the return of PSG’s rested stars. Among them is the man of the moment—Ousmane Dembélé. The French winger has been in electrifying form, torching defenses across Europe with 18 goals in his last 12 games, including 15 since the turn of the year. With half of February still remaining, he has already equaled his best-ever goal tally in a calendar year.
With Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, and João Neves all expected to return alongside Dembélé, PSG will be back at full strength. However, the young sensation Warren Zaïre-Emery is set to miss out again with an ankle injury.
For Brest, this is nothing short of a mission impossible. But in football, miracles do happen—just not often at the Parc des Princes.
PSG predicted lineup vs BREST: Donnarumma (GK); Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Vitinha, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz; Doue, Dembele, Barcola.
For Brest, this is more than just a mountain to climb—it’s Everest in a snowstorm. No team in Champions League history has ever come back from a home-leg defeat of three or more goals, and it would take a footballing miracle for Eric Roy’s men to rewrite that story.
What started as a dream debut in Europe’s elite competition has turned into a nightmare. Brest have lost four of their last five Champions League matches, and their 3-0 humbling at home in the first leg marked their third straight home defeat—something they hadn't endured in nearly 12 years. They finally broke that streak at the weekend, but a 2-2 draw with Auxerre was hardly the confidence-boosting result they needed heading into this impossible mission.
With a crucial league clash against seventh-placed Strasbourg looming, Roy may have no choice but to rotate his squad. And even if Brest were at full strength, this task would be Herculean. But they aren’t. Defensive duo Jordan Amavi (hamstring) and Bradley Locko (Achilles) remain sidelined, while key midfielders Jonas Martin (muscle) and Romain Del Castillo (knee) are also out. To make matters worse, Ibrahim Salah lasted just 20 minutes at the weekend before joining the growing injury list.
Brest’s fairytale Champions League adventure is all but over. Now, the only question is whether they can go down fighting—or if PSG will put them out of their misery in ruthless fashion.
BREST predicted lineup vs PSG: Bizot (GK); Zogbe, Chardonnet, Coulibaly, Pereira Lage; Lees-Melou, Magnetti, Doumbia; Faivre, Ajorque, Mama Balde.
PSG have made a habit of dismantling Brest, scoring three or more goals in each of their last four encounters. And back at the Parc des Princes, with the home crowd roaring them on, there’s little doubt they’ll be hungry to add more to that tally.
For Brest, last week’s 3-0 humiliation was more than just a loss—it was a gut punch to their confidence. The weight of history is crushing; no team has ever overturned a three-goal home-leg deficit in the Champions League. Knowing that, it wouldn’t be a surprise if their minds are already shifting toward their crucial clash with Strasbourg at the weekend. Their mission here? Damage control. Keep it respectable. Avoid another demoralizing thrashing.
But against a ruthless PSG side, even that might be too much to ask.
Prediction: PSG 3-1 Brest.
