Champions League: In Prague, Stade Brestois aims to qualify for the play-offs

It’s a super computer that ensures: 10 points will be enough in 99% of cases to continue the adventure in the Champions League. Faced with a new competition format, football statistician Opta simulated 50,000 scenarios. If we are to believe this artificial intelligence, Stade Brestois 29 is only one victory away from opening the doors to the February play-offs, while waiting – perhaps – to dream even bigger.

“Not a final”

Author of a thunderous start (2 wins, 1 draw), the Finistère club can strike a big blow on Wednesday on the pitch of Sparta Prague, the longest trip in its history. But the time has not yet come to take out the calculator. “It’s not a final”assured coach Eric Roy and midfielder Mahdi Camara Tuesday evening during the press conference at Epet Stadium. The technician prefers to concentrate on the game: “If the performance is there, the result will follow. What is important is to continue to advance in this competition and achieve a good result. Now if it is a draw, that will not guarantee us qualification but it will also a very good result to leave here remaining undefeated.” Especially since a perilous trip to Barcelona is looming in three weeks…

Sima package

A qualification locked from mid-term, the people of Brest are obviously thinking about it, without saying much. “Of course, we are confident with the performances we have performed in this competition so farsaid Madhi Camara. But we will have to take this match very seriously, we will try to put in the ingredients to leave with points.”

The Brest team will unfortunately be deprived of its top European scorer Abdallah Sima (3 goals in 224 minutes), whose muscle injury (hamstring) has not yet healed.

Prague favorite of bookmakers

In the foggy cold of Prague, the Ty Zefs will have to avoid being caught by the vengeful Czechs, who have only won 2 of their last 8 matches, but still have 4 points in the Champions League. Eric Roy is wary:“We know it’s going to be a complicated match, it’s a big one in Europe because it’s a team that is much more used to playing European matches than us. So we come with a lot of humility but with the desire of course to be very efficient”.

The locals will start as slight favorites according to the betting operators, which suits Pirates who love to defy the odds. Their results on this European scene that they discover, no computer can predict.