Preview: Montpellier HSC vs. Brest - prediction, team news, lineups

Montpellier HSC host Brest in Ligue 1 on Sunday, with the visitors looking to effectively secure their survival via a victory.

The home team, meanwhile, can all but secure a fourth successive top-half finish in Ligue 1 by avoiding defeat.

Match preview

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Montpellier may prove to be fatigued and downbeat against Brest on Sunday after cruelly losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in the Coupe de France semi-final on Wednesday.

Michel Der Zakarian was hoping to guide the club to their third Coupe de France triumph, having last won the competition in 1990, with Gaetan Laborde and Andy Delort twice pegging the French champions back during a pulsating encounter.

However, Junior Sambia's miss in sudden death allowed Moise Kean to step up to coolly dispatch the winning penalty and sink Montpellier hearts in the process.

Attention must quickly return to league matters, though, with Der Zakarian hoping for a similar performance against Brest to the one his side delivered last weekend, which saw them blitz into a 3-0 lead at Strasbourg before ultimately holding out for a 3-2 win.

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It is pretty clear which side are likely to have more freshness and motivation during the encounter, though, given that Brest are yet to secure their safety this season.

Olivier Dall'Aglio's side hold a three point advantage as well as a significantly better goal difference over 18th-placed Nantes, so they will be hoping their relegation rivals can slip up at already relegated Dijon on Sunday.

However, after suffering back-to-back defeats to Nantes and Nice, Dall'Aglio's side must not rely on favours from elsewhere as they look to survive for a second successive season in Ligue 1.

Former Huddersfield Town forward Steve Mounie could prove crucial in terms of helping them get over the line, with his confidence likely to be boosted after scoring a brace despite falling to defeat to Nice last time out.

Team News

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Montpellier are likely to remain without Jonas Omlin due to a thigh injury.

Damien Le Tallec should be restored to the starting XI, having only been used from the substitutes' bench during the cup semi-final defeat to PSG.

Pedro Mendes and Ambroise Oyongo face several months on the sidelines due to ACL injuries.

Brest, meanwhile, could be without Romain Philippoteaux, Christophe Herelle and Sebastien Cibois due to hamstring, knee and ankle issues respectively.

Irvin Cardona could be restored to the side in place of Jean Lucas, as Dall'Aglio looks to add greater goal threat to his side.

Paul Lasne will not play again this season due to his ACL injury.

Montpellier HSC possible starting lineup:
Bertaud; Souquet, Hilton, Congre, Ristic; Ferri, Le Tallec, Sambia; Laborde, Delort, Mavididi

Brest possible starting lineup:
Larsonneur; Pierre-Gabriel, Chardonnet, Duverne, Perraud; Honorat, Belkebla, Faivre, Cardona; Charbonnier, Mounie

We say: Montpellier HSC 1-1 Brest

With Montpellier likely to be tired and potentially unmotivated after Wednesday night's penalty shootout defeat to PSG in the Coupe de France semi-final, we can envisage Brest gaining a positive result on Sunday.

A point could be enough to keep them in Ligue 1 for another season depending on results elsewhere.