Pep Lijnders’ Salzburg are in need of a bounce-back Champions League performance as they take on Ligue 1 side Brest on Tuesday evening.

Jurgen Klopp’s former assistant at Liverpool hasn’t had it all his own way at the start of his managerial tenure with the Austrian giants. Salzburg currently sit third in a division they’ve dominated throughout the 21st century, but they did relinquish their crown to Sturm Graz last season.

It was the Austrian champions who succumbed to Brest on Matchday 1 of the all-new league phase two weeks ago, with the French side, on their first Champions League appearance, winning 2-1 in what’s been their undoubted highlight of the new season thus far. They’ve been hit and miss domestically.

Salzburg, meanwhile, were thumped 3-0 by a clinical Sparta Prague in their league phase opener. Lijnders’ side had plenty of the ball but offered little penetration, and errors in the build-up phase proved costly.

Here’s 90min’s preview of Salzburg’s Champions League clash against Brest.

Salzburg vs Brest H2H Record

This is the first competitive fixture between Salzburg and Brest.

Current form (all competitions)

Lijnders is currently dealing with a fairly hefty injury list, and one of the players missing Tuesday’s game is influential young midfielder Maurits Kjaergaard, who could be out until November with an ankle injury.

Daouda Guindo and Takumu Kawamura are long-term absentees due to respective foot and knee injuries, while Aleksa Terzic is out until the October international break with a hamstring injury.

Samson Baidoo is likely to remain absent due to a calf issue.

Liverpool loanee Stefan Bajcetic will start at the base of Salzburg’s midfield alongside former Red Bobby Clark.

Salzburg predicted lineup vs Brest (4-3-3): Blaswich; Morgalla, Piatkowski, Blank, Dedic; Capaldo, Bajcetic, Clark; Nene, Yeo, Gloukh.

The Ligue 1 side have just a couple of injury concerns, but their absentees on Tuesday are significant losses.

Brest will be without Pierre Lees-Melou due to a broken leg and Bradley Locko because of an Achilles injury. Both are key players for the visitors, with the latter earning links to the Premier League over the summer.

Achraf Dari is a doubt with an ankle injury, but Julien Le Cardinal could return to Brest’s defence after he missed their defeat to Auxerre on Friday through illness.

Brest predicted lineup vs Salzburg (4-3-3): Bizot; Lala, Le Cardinal, Chardonnet, Amavi; Magnetti, Fernandes, Camara; Del Castillo, Ajorque, Sima.

Brest have a couple of key absences for this fixture, and the visitors head into Tuesday’s game having been thrashed 3-0 by Auxerre, a relegation candidate, away from home.

While this is a young and inexperienced Salzburg side, the club does have Champions League pedigree and that does count for something, especially when your facing up against complete novices in this competition.

Given the start Brest have made on the road this season and Salzburg’s need to produce a resurgent performance on home soil, it’s hard to bet against the Austrian giants here.

Prediction: Salzburg 2-0 Brest

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