Brest is one of the most modest clubs ever to take part in the Champions League, so its supporters will still be rubbing its eyes when they look at the table and see their team in second place (out of 36 teams!) in Europe’s elite club competition.
It was against all the odds that the Brittany side finished third in Ligue 1 last season, comfortably their best ever performance allowing them to qualify for Europe for the first time.
Not just any European competition either, but straight into the league phase of the new-look Champions League, with 36 clubs together in one giant pool.
There, after two matches, Brest sit second out of 36 teams with a maximum six points, behind only Borussia Dortmund, and ahead of Liverpool, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Asked last week for his thoughts on Brest’s start this season, coach Eric Roy responded drily: “Not much other than we could have done much better in the Champions League. It is a bit disappointing that we are only second. We will have to try to improve that.”
The problem is things might be about to get far harder.
The fixtures so far have been kind, even if Brest deserve huge credit for beating Austrian champions Sturm Graz 2-1 on their debut in the competition and then claiming a stunning 4-0 victory in Salzburg.
Again with a touch of humor, Roy remarked in a post-match television interview those results only showed his team could maybe win the Austrian league.
Next up for Brest is a home meeting on Wednesday against German champions Bayer Leverkusen, who went through the whole of last season unbeaten domestically.
Leverkusen also has a 100 percent record in this season’s Champions League and represent a huge step-up from what Brest have faced so far.
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