Friday at 9 p.m.: live TV, likely lineups, predictions.
The specter of relegation continues to hover over Laszlo Boloni’s Metz, which is in danger of returning to Ligue 2 just one year after promotion to the top flight. The Grenats, second-last in the standings, can no longer win-the last success was in November-and in two and a half months have collected barely a point, obtained two weeks ago in the match with Marseille (1-1) at the Velodrome.
To be forgotten, on the other hand, was the last outing at home to Montpellier, a direct competitor for the maintenance of the category: at the Stade de la Mosson, Metz wrecked 3-0, a match in which the Grenadian formation showed its usual limitations in the non-possession phase of the ball (third worst defense after that of Lorient and the tail-end Clermont). Boloni’s team has not kept its goal unbroken since the 0-0 draw with Le Havre since the end of October, but things are no better in attack, where the goals scored in 22 games are only 18.And the standings, inevitably, begin to become worrisome: five points separate Metz from the fourth-last.
Lyon has started running again
But for the Lorraine club the bad news does not end there. In the twenty-third day advance they will face a completely regenerated and confident Lyon. Lacazette and his teammates, compared to the disastrous first part of the season, seem transformed and thanks to their three consecutive successes (Marseille, Montpellier and Nice) they have moved closer to the left column of the standings.
Coach Pierre Sage, who took over from Fabio Grosso in November, gives the impression that he has found the right formula to turn around a team that so far has struggled to break away from the bottom of the rankings and probably had more than one problem at the locker room level. Helped also by the winter market, which brought important reinforcements (Benhrama, Orban, Matic or Mangala), Sage will now try to see if there are margins to get back in the running for a European placement, which for now remains utopian, as seventh place is nine lengths away.
The prediction
Lyon could take advantage of Metz’s bad moment to pick up some more important points and continue climbing the Ligue 1 standings: it is not out of the question that the Gones might even manage to keep their goal unbeaten, given the trend of the last two league games (only one goal conceded in 270 minutes).
The probable lineups for Metz-Lyon
METZ (4-4-2): Oukidja; Colin, Traoré, Hérelle, Udol; van den Kerkhof, Atta, Camara, Jean-Jacques; Mikautadze, Lamkel Zé.
LYON (4-3-3): Lopes; Maitland-Niles, Mata, Caleta-Car, Adryelson; Caqueret, Matic, Mangala; Nuamah, Lacazette, Benrahma.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 0-2
