The Matchday 3 clash in Ligue 1 between Lens and Brest will take place on August 29 at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Lens vs. Brest: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Lens
After a defeat in their opening match of the championship against Lyon (0-1), the team secured a narrow victory over Le Havre with a 2-1 scoreline in the previous round. This first win lifted Lens to the 10th spot in the Ligue 1 standings. It is worth noting that the defeat in the opening match of the current championship was suffered at home, and moreover, they have lost 7 of their last 11 home games in this tournament. In 3 of their last 4 home matches in the elite French league, the team failed to score.
- The club has conceded in 7 of their last 8 championship matches.
- Lens' uncompromising home streak in Ligue 1 includes 15 matches (6 wins, 9 losses).
- One opponent failed to score in the last 6 matches at their home ground in the top French division.
Predicted lineup for Lens (3-4-3)
Robin Risser – Jonathan Gradit, Malang Sarr, Mathieu Udol – Ruben Aguilar, Adrien Thomasson, Fodé Sylla, Deiver Machado – Florian Thauvin, Wesley Saïd, Ryan Fofana.
Brest
The Bretons lost their previous Ligue 1 match to Toulouse away with a 0-2 scoreline, extending their winless streak in the tournament to 3 matches (1 draw, 2 goalless losses). After 2 rounds, the club is positioned 14th in the French championship standings with 1 point. It is notable that Brest's matches in the current Ligue 1 season are among the most high-scoring, alongside Marseille's games, averaging 4 goals per game. Additionally, in the previous championship, the club lost twice to Lens, both times by a 2-goal margin (0-2, 1-3).
- The team has conceded at least 2 goals in 6 of their last 8 Ligue 1 matches.
- Away from home, Brest has not won in 6 of their last 7 matches in this tournament (2 draws, 4 losses).
- The Bretons have scored in 7 of their last 10 away matches in the French championship.
Predicted lineup for Brest (4-3-3)
Radosław Majecki – Bradley Locko, Julien Le Cardinal, Brendan Chardonnet, Kenny Lala – Hugo Magnetti, Pierre Lees-Melou, Kamory Doumbia – Ludovic Ajorque, Mama Baldé, Romain Del Castillo.
Key midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou has left the team, moving to Paris.
Referee
Abdellatif Kerrarji (France)
Matches – 18 (Ligue 1, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 67;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.7;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 28;
Penalties – 39%.
Lens vs. Brest: Match Prediction
Pierre Sage's team narrowly defeated Le Havre in the last round, despite being outperformed in most key statistical categories. Nevertheless, Lens earned 3 points, while in the opening match against Lyon, where they were the better side, they ended up with nothing. In the upcoming match, the hosts have significant chances to add to their points tally. The club from Lens is more stable than the Bretons, who looked quite passive last season, and in the current one, after losing several key players and not making any strengthening transfers, Brest has already conceded 5 goals in the first 2 rounds.
In favor of the hosts, besides the support of the home crowd, is the statistics of recent head-to-head encounters against the Bretons. Lens has won 5 of the last 6 meetings against Brest in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 (1 loss), and at home, they have defeated the opponent in the last 3 matches in the elite French championship. Moreover, the Bretons lost their last 3 away matches in Ligue 1, with a goal difference of a staggering 1:12.
I believe that this time the hosts will also manage to defeat a convenient opponent, my prediction – Lens to Win
