Brest vs Lens: Can the Pirates Stun the Blood and Gold on Opening Day?

Brest and Lens will face off in the opening game of the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season on Sunday afternoon. The Pirates finished 14th in the table last term, while the Blood and Gold were runners-up, just one point behind champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Brest will be looking to build on their strong end to last season, when they won five of their last six home league games. They have also made some good signings in the summer, including Inter Milan loanee Martin Satriano and former Reims defender Bradley Locko.

Lens will be without the injured duo of Jimmy Cabot and Wuiolker Farinez, but they have also added to their squad with the signings of Andy Diouf, Angelo Fulgini, Oscar Cortes, Morgan Guilavogui, and Stijn Spierings.

The Blood and Gold will be confident of starting the season with a win, but Brest will be determined to spoil their party. We are predicting a tight game, but we think Lens will just edge it 1-0.

Here are some of the key talking points ahead of the match:

• Brest’s home form: The Pirates have a good record at the Stade Francis-Le Ble, and they will be looking to take advantage of that against Lens on Sunday.
• Lens’s new signings: The Blood and Gold have added some quality to their squad in the summer, and it will be interesting to see how their new signings perform on opening day.
• Brest’s injury problems: Brest are without the injured duo of Romain Del Castillo and Jean-Kevin Duverne, which could weaken their attack.
• Lens’s away form: The Blood and Gold have not been as good away from home as they have been at home in recent seasons, and they will need to improve that if they want to challenge for the title this year.

Prediction: Brest 0-1 Lens