Lyon vs Metz: We’re looking forward to a productive game

Lyon have been winless in all competitions for more than three weeks, and they will try to improve in the match against Metz. Can the Lions break their unbeaten run?

The Lions are only 13th in the table, but the gap between them and the bottom three has grown to eight points. In the last two rounds of the French championship, Lyon have shared points with their opponents, showing the weak play in both halves of the field. Overall on the season, the team has played well in attack, but their defence has slumped. Lyon are in the top 5 of Ligue 1 for the number of shots, but they shoot from outside the goal area much less frequently, yielding even to Angers and Montpellier in this regard. As far as the squad is concerned, things are stable: Jason Denayer, Sinaly Diomande, Jeff Reine-Adelaide and Lenny Pintor have been out of action for quite some time, and they will not play against Metz.

Lyon drew 0-2 away to Lille in the last Ligue 1 round. The Lions could not break down the defence and frequently hit the ball from outside the box. In the end, Peter Bosz’s charges could have conceded 2-3 goals, but the opponents missed on several occasions, and Anthony Lopes made a save in one of the episodes.

In their last four Ligue 1 fixtures, Metz have picked up two wins and slightly improved their place in the table, but they’re still 18th. The Maroons are among the worst in the league in defensive play, and they have trouble creating chances at the other side’s goal. Only thanks to their high goal-scoring ability have they not slipped further down the table: Nicolas de Préville and Fabien Centonze have at times generated goals from nothing. Ahead of Matchday 19, Metz have a serious squad problem. Pape Sarr and Vincent Pajot will not play due to yellow cards, while Manuel Cabit, Kevin N’Doram and Matthieu Udol are still injured.

The day before, Metz lost on penalties to Bergerac from the French 4th tier division, 0-1, in the French Cup. During the regular time, Frédéric Antonetti’s charges had the initiative. They failed to convert several good opportunities, while their opponents only managed to create something more or less dangerous at the Maroons’ goal. The last time round of the Ligue 1 was more successful for the Metz side as they thrashed Lorient 4-1 at home. By the 20th minute, the hosts had scored three goals, and all they had to do was maintain the lead. The Metz side’s efficiency was simply insane, with only four shots on goal in the entire match.

In the last head-to-head encounter, the teams totalled 41 shots on goal, scoring only one goal, and now it is reasonable to expect a more entertaining game. Lyon are the worst of the top French clubs in defensive play, and even Metz can take advantage of the situation. They scored four goals in the last fixture, and they could easily score 1-2 goals in the Cup. I propose to bet on the following outcomes:

• Both teams to score + Total Over 2.5 goals for 2.00;
• W1 + Total Over 2.5 goals for 1.95;
• 1st Half: Total Over 2.5 goals for 4.80.