After a 4-0 thrashing at Nancy in midweek, things are not expected to get any easier for Metz this Saturday afternoon as they take on in form Lyon at Stade Saint Symphorien.
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It wasn’t the first hiding suffered by Phillipe Hinschberger’s side since their return to the top flight following a 0-7 drubbing against Monaco a few weeks ago, but Wednesday’s result definitely inflicted greater embarrassment – particularly as full-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto was sent off amidst a torrid night for Les Grenats.
Metz are still a respectable looking 12th in the Ligue 1 standings heading into the weekend however they are now firmly amongst the favourites to go down this season and thus make an imminent return to the second tier.
Four points clear of the bottom three at present, that gap may well shrink further after Lyon have visited Stade Saint Symphorien as Les Gones are in great form and won even more emphatically than Nancy on Wednesday as goals from Tolisso, Lacazette, Gonalons, Valbuena, Diakhaby and Fekir completed a 0-6 rout of Nantes at Stade de la Beaujoire.
That result lifted Bruno Genesio’s team up to 4th in the table and their fine recent run, blotted only by a 1-2 defeat to PSG last weekend, means they are now hot on the heels of Les Parisiens, Monaco and Nice who currently occupy the Champions League qualification spots.
Of course, Lyon are still in this year’s premier European competition and have an outside squeak of reaching the last 16 when they face off with Sevilla at Parc Olympique Lyonnais on Wednesday.
It’s possible that Genesio’s side may have one eye on that fixture heading into Saturday’s Ligue 1 match however that is not enough to deter us from backing them.
Lyon have won four of their last five matches and have a decent away record in Ligue 1 this season with four wins and a draw from eight outings.
In Metz they face a team that has the second worst home record with just eight points acquired from seven games and Les Grenats just cannot be fancied on the back of such a heavy defeat.
They’ll need to dust themselves down and complete a quick turnaround just to be competitive with Lyon however if Les Gones play as they did at Nantes, the goals could well be flying in again.
So although the 7/10 about a Lyon win is perfectly fair, we’ll be a bit more adventurous and side with the visitors to cover a one goal handicap, with 0-3 looking a good selection in the correct score market.
HEAD TO HEAD
Lyon lead the overall head to head 19-5-7 and won 2-0 when the teams last met in January 2015.
METZ VS LYON STATS
Metz have conceded almost two goals per Ligue 1 match this season (29 conceded in 15 games) whilst Lyon have almost scored two goals per game (28 scored in 15 games).
METZ TEAM NEWS
Full-back Mathieu Udol is the only definite injury absentee for Metz with a cruciate ligament injury however formet Tottenham Hotspur defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto is banned following his sending off against Nancy in midweek.
LYON TEAM NEWS
Argentine centre-back Emanuel Mammana missed Lyon’s 0-6 victory over Nantes in midweek due to an unconfirmed injury but could return here. Bruno Genesio has no further injury concerns and is unlikely to make many changes from the eleven that won so convincingly at Stade de la Beaujoire.
METZ VS LYON PREDICTIONS over 2.5
