Brest Bretagne W vs Besancon W

Playing at Brest Arena in front of a lively home crowd, Brest started brightly. Kiara Tshimanga, the young left-winger who impressed last season, opened the scoring inside the first three minutes. Besançon, coached by Jérôme Delarue and featuring former BBH centre-back Juliette Faure on her return to the Arena, responded well and briefly led 9-7 midway through the first half — a spell that prompted Hlavaty to call an early time-out.

The tactical reset worked. Brest reeled off a sequence of unanswered goals, driven by the physical presence of Clarisse Mairot at right-back and the playmaking of Horacek, who controlled the tempo from centre-back. Goalkeeper Floriane André, introduced from the bench in the first period, made several key saves to maintain Brest's advantage. The home side took a 21-13 lead into half-time, having scored 14 goals in the final 20 minutes of the half.

The second half followed a similar pattern. Besançon initially cut the deficit to 21-14 immediately after the restart, but Brest answered through a seven-metre strike from Mairot and a fast-break finish from Pauline Coatanéa to restore a double-digit cushion. Besançon never got closer than seven goals thereafter. Tamara Horacek capped her debut with a composed performance, orchestrating attacks and chipping in with goals from distance, while Annika Lott showed increased responsibility on the left-back position.

Hlavaty's tactical timeout with Besançon leading 9-7 in the first half proved decisive. Brest had looked unsettled by Besançon's aggressive 6-0 defence and the pace of Faure in transition. The reset allowed Brest to switch to a faster ball-movement pattern, pulling Besançon's defence out of shape and creating space for the pivots — particularly Oriane Ondono and Sofia Hvenfelt — to operate in the central channel. From trailing by two, Brest outscored Besançon 14-4 over the remainder of the half, effectively settling the contest before the interval.

Tamara Horacek — The French international, returning to Ligue Butagaz Énergie after two seasons at Krim Mercator, was central to everything Brest did well. Her passing range kept Besançon's defence guessing, and her ability to score from long range — a weapon Brest will lean on heavily this season — was on full display. A composed, high-IQ debut.

Floriane André — Introduced in the first half, the BBH goalkeeper made several crucial saves during Besançon's strongest spells, including a first-half seven-metre stop that preserved Brest's momentum. Her nine saves on the day (estimated from the match flow) frustrated Besançon's attempts to build sustained pressure.

Kiara Tshimanga — The young left-winger carried her end-of-last-season form into the new campaign, finishing efficiently from the wing and contributing strongly in transition. Her early goals set the tone.

Clarisse Mairot — Operating at right-back where the club has least depth following the departures of Anna Gros and Anna Vyakhireva, Mairot stepped up with a confident performance, including a crucial seven-metre conversion in the second half.

Player of the match: Tamara Horacek

The 28-21 final scoreline tells a story of Brest's growing control. The key phase was the final 20 minutes of the first half, where Brest's shift in tempo produced a 14-4 run that effectively ended the contest. Besançon's ability to compete early — leading 9-7 — shows they are no pushovers this season, but their attacking options were blunted by Brest's second-half defensive adjustment, which cut off the supply lines to their shooters. André's introduction in goal lifted Brest's save percentage noticeably. Besançon's finishing accuracy declined as the match wore on, a direct consequence of sustained defensive pressure.

Brest start the 2026-27 Ligue Butagaz Énergie season with two points and a positive goal difference of +7, placing them among the early pacesetters. The champions face their first major test on Wednesday 2 September when they travel to Dijon — a side that has strengthened significantly and will aim to establish itself among the challengers. Besançon, who finished mid-table last season and have European ambitions, will look to bounce quickly when they host their next fixture.

For Hlavaty, this was a near-ideal start: a comfortable win achieved with contributions from the new signings, young prospects from the academy (Justine Renaud, Nolan Babo and Valentine Arizeux were all called up with Enola Borg injured), and established players stepping into larger roles. The seven-goal margin also sends an early message to title rivals Metz, who began their campaign separately.

A professional, controlled start from the champions. Brest's first-half surge after a brief wobble demonstrated the quality that earned them last season's title, while the integration of Horacek, Hvenfelt and Smetkova went smoothly. The depth and tactical flexibility Hlavaty showed — particularly the switch to faster ball circulation to break Besançon's defence — are encouraging signs. Besançon will take heart from their opening quarter but were ultimately outclassed by a side operating at a higher level.