Brest vs Sturm Graz facts

History will be made at the Stade du Roudourou in Guingamp as Brest play their first-ever European fixture at home to Sturm Graz on Matchday 1 of the UEFA Champions League.

The French side secured continental football for the first time in their history with a memorable Ligue 1 campaign in 2023/24, and begin their Champions League challenge at home to a Sturm side who have made it this far for the first time in 24 years.

The Austrian club are featuring in the competition proper for the fourth time having enjoyed a stunning campaign of their own last season, ending Salzburg's domestic dominance with a league and cup double.

Form guide

Brest

This is Brest's first season in the Champions League; indeed, they have never before qualified for European competition.

Leipzig, in 2017, are the only previous club to have made their European debut in the Champions League proper, an honour Brest will share with Girona this season.

Éric Roy's side secured their place in the competition by finishing third in Ligue 1 in 2023/24 – the club's highest-ever final position. Their 61 points was also a club record.

Les Pirates will be the 12th French club to play in the Champions League proper, and the first newcomers since Rennes in 2020/21.

Brest are one of five clubs to be making their Champions League debuts in 2024/25, along with Bologna, Aston Villa, Girona and Slovan Bratislava.

Sturm Graz

Record vs French clubs: W2 D2 L4 F7 A15
Away record vs French clubs: W0 D1 L3

Sturm's 2023/24 European season ended in France, a 1-1 draw at LOSC Lille confirming a 1-4 aggregate defeat in the UEFA Europa Conference League round of 16.

That made it four games without a win against Ligue 1 opposition, home and away (D2 L2), since a 2-0 home victory against Monaco in the 2000/01 Champions League first group stage.

The second-leg draw represented the first time Sturm had avoided defeat away to French opponents in their fourth fixture and was also their first goal; they conceded eight in those three previous defeats.

This is the fourth time Sturm have featured in the Champions League proper – and the first since 2001/02, their third successive appearance.

That most recent campaign is the only one in which the Austrian side survived the initial group stage. First in their section ahead of Galatasaray, Rangers and Monaco – winning three of their six games – Sturm were third behind Valencia and Manchester United in the second group stage, though they did end with six points thanks to two wins against Panathinaikos.

Sturm have lost five times in Champions League qualifying since that last group appearance 23 seasons ago. Indeed, this is the first time they have ever qualified direct for the group stage.

In 2023/24, Sturm were beaten 7-2 on aggregate by PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League third qualifying round, and then finished third in their UEFA Europa League group behind eventual champions Atalanta and Sporting CP. That sent them into the UEFA Europa Conference League, the Graz club getting the better of Slovan Bratislava in the knockout round play-offs (5-1 aggregate) before that 1-4 aggregate loss to Lille in the last 16.

The Austrian club have won only two of their last 13 away European matches (D3 L8) and five of the last 32, a sequence that stretches back to 2009 and includes 17 defeats.

There was domestic success for Christian Ilzer's side last season, Sturm finishing top of the Austrian Bundesliga to end Salzburg's run of ten titles in a row. It was the club's fourth league triumph and a first since 2010/11; they also claimed the Austrian Cup for the seventh time, winning a second domestic double.

Links and trivia

Brest forward Abdallah Sima and Sturm goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen and midfielder Malick Yalcouyé are both on loan at their respective clubs from English side Brighton.

Latest news

Brest

Brest's record in Ligue 1 this season is W1 L3, with six goals scored and ten conceded. On Saturday they went down 3-1 at champions Paris Saint-Germain despite taking a first-half lead through Romain Del Castillo's second penalty of the season.

They kicked off with à 1-5 home loss to Marseille on 17 August, their heaviest defeat since going down 0-7 at home to Montpellier on 28 August 2022.

On 25 August Brest were beaten 2-0 at Lens.

Mahdi Camara scored his second goal of the season with the opener in a 4-0 win at home to St-Étienne on 31 August.

Summer signing Ludovic Ajorque scored his first goal for Brest against St-Etienne.

Mama Baldé captained Guinea-Bissau to a 1-0 win against Eswatini in CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifying on 5 September. Five days later, he was on the scoresheet in a 2-1 defeat in Mozambique.

Romain Faivre missed Saturday's defeat in Paris with a knock.

Pierre Lees-Melou has not played since 4 May due to a broken fibula.

Bradley Locko suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in August and faces a long spell on the sidelines.

Sturm Graz

Sturm's game on Sunday at Austria Wien was postponed due to heavy rain in Vienna.

Having opened their Austrian Bundesliga title defence with a 1-0 loss at Rapid Wien on 4 August, Sturm have won their last four league matches, scoring ten goals.

Five of Sturm's ten league goals this season have been scored in the final 15 minutes.

The defeat at Rapid is the only one of Sturm's seven games in all competitions this season they have not won.

It is also their only defeat in their last 17 matches (W13 D3).

The Graz club have also won at third division Kremser (4-2 aet) and second tier Ried (3-1) to reach the Austrian Cup third round.

Mika Biereth is Sturm's top scorer in all competitions this season on four goals, one more than Tomi Horvat.

Defender Gregory Wüthrich won his first cap for Switzerland in the 2-0 UEFA Nations League defeat by Denmark on 5 September.

William Bøving and Biereth scored in Denmark's 5-0 win at home to Czechia in 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying on 10 September.