The match of the 19th round of the Ligue 1 between Metz and Olympique Lyonnais will take place on 25 january at the Saint-Symphorien stadium. Metz vs Olympique Lyonnais: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Metz
Metz played their previous round away and lost 1:2. It was already the fifth defeat in six recent league matches (there was also 1 draw). As a result the club's leadership lost patience and decided on drastic measures – they dismissed Stefan Le Mignon from the position of head coach. It is worth noting that earlier this season the side had an even longer winless run – there were no wins in the Ligue 1 from the 1st to the 9th rounds. The club are among the bottom three and are already 6 points behind the safety of 15th place. The club also have the worst defence in the competition, having conceded as many as 40 goals.
- Both teams scored in 6 of the team's last 7 Ligue 1 matches.
- At least three goals were scored in 5 of the club's 7 most recent league matches.
- The club failed to win in 9 of the previous 12 home Ligue 1 matches (2 draws and 7 defeats).
Potential Metz Lineup (4-4-2)*
Jonathan Fisher – Sadio Mané, Fodé Ballo-Touré, Maxim Colen, Terry Yegbe – Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Gautier En, Jessi Demenge, Giorgi Tsitaishvili – Malik Mbaye, Ibu Sane.
Head coach Stefan Le Mignon has been dismissed. Benoît Tavenot has been appointed in his place. Forwards Habib Diallo and Cheikhou Sabaly returned from national team duty and are ready to take part in the match. Due to injuries, striker Joseph Mangondo and goalkeeper Pape Si are out of action.
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais beat Brest 2:1 at home in their last league match. It was the third consecutive league victory. Such winning runs had not occurred since the start of the season, when the team also won the first three rounds. Also note that the visitors had not conceded more than one goal in six previous Ligue 1 matches. The team moved up to fourth place in the table, two points behind third-placed Marseille. It is also worth noting that the squad have the third-best defence in the league – just 18 goals conceded.
- The club remained unbeaten in 8 of the last 10 Ligue 1 matches (5 wins and 3 draws).
- At least three goals were scored in 5 of the team's last 6 home league matches.
- In the last six first halves at home in the Ligue 1 the team scored only 1 goal.
Potential Olympique Lyonnais Lineup (5-2-3)*
Dominik Greif – Abner Vinícius, Clinton Mata, Nicolas Tagliafico, Ruben Kluivert, Ainsley Maitland-Niles – Tyler Morton, Tanner Tessmann – Endrick, Pavel Šulc, Afonso Moreira.
Out through injury are forwards Ernest Nuamah and Malik Fofana, as well as defender Nicolas Tagliafico.
Referee
Éric Wattellier (France)
Matches – 9 (the Ligue 1, 2025/26);
Yellow/Red Cards Shown (Including Second Yellows) – 28;
Average Yellow/Red Cards Per Match – 3.1;
Red Cards Shown – 2;
Fouls Average Per Match – 24;
Penalties – 44%.
Metz vs Olympique Lyonnais: Match Prediction
Stefan Le Mignon lasted exactly half a season as head coach. With him the team managed only 3 league wins, which is clearly insufficient to escape the relegation zone. Metz also stand out for poor defensive performances compared with other opponents, conceding on average 2.2 goals. We believe that the hosts will concede at least two goals this time, since it is important for Olympique Lyonnais to hold onto a spot in the top four.
Olympique Lyonnais cannot lose points in matches against outsiders. They will need to score more than Metz. However, it is unlikely they will keep a clean sheet. After all, Olympique Lyonnais conceded in 14 of their previous 19 away games in the national competition. Metz, meanwhile, scored six goals in their three most recent home Ligue 1 matches. It is also worth adding that at least three goals were scored in 8 of the last 9 head-to-head meetings at Saint-Symphorien in the championship.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals
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* The starting lineup for each team is taken from its previous match in this competition.
