Brest beat Lorient 2-0 in the Breton derby

Brest won the Breton derby against Lorient 2-0 on Monday evening, in a fixture rescheduled following mobilisations in France. The match opened up in the 70th minute. The result also gave Brest their first victory of the season without conceding a goal.

The game was played without an away section, amid hostility between the two clubs’ supporter groups. A banner insulting Brest was displayed at the start of the match. Against that tense backdrop, the sporting contest took a dramatic turn late on.

Brest were put under pressure when a penalty was awarded for a handball by Kenny Lala. Aiyegun Tosin struck the post with his attempt. Srdan Kuzmic followed up, but his shot was stopped by Egil Selvik. Lorient therefore missed the chance to equalise at the very start of stoppage time.

Brest soon extended their lead. Giovani Versini broke down the flank and sent in a low cross; fellow substitute Noah Edjouma met it from close range to score the second goal at 90+2. His finish sealed a win after a turbulent closing spell.

In the standings, Brest move ahead of Lorient and sit 10th, with their rivals 11th. Both teams have 12 points after nine matches and share a record of three wins, three draws and three defeats. Their goal figures differ: Brest have scored 16 and conceded 12, while Lorient have scored seven and let in eight. The sides also have matching records across their last five matches: two wins, one draw and two defeats apiece. The derby thus gives Brest the edge in the table despite the teams’ level points, as well as their first win of the season without conceding.