When the Champions League draw fell, PSV Eindhoven was surely the most difficult opponent of Stade Brestois to appreciate. It does not have the prestige of FC Barcelona or Real Madrid, the aura of Xabi Alonso and his radiant Bayer Leverkusen but is advancing as a formidable team in Europe.
Eighth finalist in the last LDC, PSV notably crossed paths with RC Lens in the group stage. “We talked about it with Massadio (Haïdara). For him, it was the best team he met in his group stage. The team that impressed him the most, although there were Sevilla and Arsenal. We are going to have a great challenge,” assures Julien Le Cardinal.
PSV, the best attack in Europe
Since the arrival of Peter Bosz in the summer of 2023, PSV is undoubtedly the best Dutch team and outrageously dominates its domestic championship. “Honestly, they are unplayable,” adds Johann Crochet, journalist on RMC Sport, specializing in Dutch football. They are taking advantage of the fact that Ajax has completely plunged and that Feyenoord Rotterdam has lost its leader, Arne Slot, who left for Liverpool. »
By offering an enticing game, PSV also has the best attack in Europe in the league (56 goals after 15 days), ahead of Red Star Belgrade (55 goals) and Barça (50 goals).
And despite a schedule that is far from obvious (Juventus, PSG, Sporting), the winner of the Champions League in 1988 is in the running for the play-offs with eight points on the clock. “It’s a team that likes to have the ball without being stereotypical. It is as dangerous in the axial zones as on the sides where danger can come from everywhere,” specifies the French journalist.
“Brest has the game to bother them”
Faced with this offensive force, Stade Brestois is far from being 100%. Decreased, the Finistère team has lost four times in its last five outings in all competitions, conceding 13 goals. “It’s certainly the most complicated match,” says Eric Roy. We are going to meet a team of the caliber of Leverkusen, except that this time, we have a little less arguments. But I am still counting on the state of mind of my players, on the group, on this strength and this cohesion to be able to defeat this team. »
With their 11th place in the standings, the Brestois have some arguments to hurt this PSV. It will then be necessary to perfectly negotiate the opportunities that will open up to them when recovering the ball. “Where they are ultra-vulnerable is in transition. If they lose the ball, they may be in danger. Brest has the game to bother them,” explains Johann Crochet. “They have a lot of very fast players. And since we press high, it can sometimes be a little difficult for us,” even confirms Olivier Boscagli, the French defender of Eindhoven.
And if it is more difficult in Ligue 1, Stade Brestois continues to sublimate itself in each of its European outings, except in Barcelona where the adversity was far too great. Thanks to its already memorable journey and with ten points on the clock, the Finistère team can finally approach Eindhoven without putting too much pressure on themselves. “A fairy tale”, Marco Bizot even summed up, with a smile on his lips, to describe the adventure in the Champions League. Brest is 99.2% certain to continue it, at least until the dams.
Belgium
