Metz vs PSG Preview & Prediction | 2023-24 French Ligue 1
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There would need to be a miracle for Metz to avoid the relegation playoff place but they would also need to endure something as miraculous to fall behind Lorient in the relegation zone.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Sunday 19th May, 2024 - UK – 20:00 / US EST – 15:00 / US PST – 13:00
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: This match will not be televised live in the UK. / This match will be televised live on beIN Sports in the US.
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: This match will not be able to be streamed live in the UK. / This match will be streamed live via Fanatiz in the US.
METZ PREVIEW: A GLIMMER OF HOPE
Following their promotion back to the top-flight of French football last season, Metz have spent the vast majority of this season battling against the drop. They head into the final weekend of the season sitting third from bottom and in the relegation playoff place, three points of Le Havre who they do have the edge over on the head-to-head difference.
They do, though, come into this one on the back of a dramatic late loss away to Strasbourg, leading until the 89th minute but eventually falling to a 2-1 defeat to the Alsace-based club. That made it three successive defeats for Metz but their striker, Georges Mikautadze, has been in excellent form with eight goals in his last six matches.
PSG PREVIEW: PREPARING FOR THE CUP
Former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique is finishing off the season by moving Paris Saint-Germain into the next generation. They suffered a 3-1 defeat at home to Toulouse last weekend in Kylian Mbappe’s final home game for the club and then the France captain was once again left out of the squad in midweek as they travelled south to the Allianz Riviera to face Nice.
In that game the other day, PSG managed to hold on to a 2-1 victory with a very inexperienced team. One of Luis Enrique’s youngsters, Yoram Zague, got the Parisiens’ second on the night after Bradley Barcola had opened the scoring before Mohamed-Ali Cho brought Nice back into the game. Malvin Bard was sent off late on as things stayed the same after the 32nd minute.
METZ TEAM NEWS: TETTEH & ASORO MISSING
There are a couple of key attacking injury issues for this weekend as former Sunderland man Joel Asoro is unavailable alongside the former Hull City striker Benjamin Tetteh. Matthieu Udol is also missing for this one.
PREDICTED XI (4-5-1): Oukidja; Colin, Traore, Sane, Cande; Van Den Kerkhof, Jacques, N’Doram, Camara, Diallo; Mikautadze
UNAVAILABLE: Udol (Injured), Asoro (Injured), Tetteh (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
PSG TEAM NEWS: MBAPPE IS DONE AT PSG
Kylian Mbappe is suffering from a ‘hamstring injury’ so he won’t be in action at Metz and Luis Enrique is also without fellow key forward Ousmane Dembele. Keylor Navas, Sergio Rico, Presnel Kimpembe, Layvin Kurzawa and Lucas Hernandez are all also unavailable.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Tenas; Mukiele, Danilo Pereira, Skriniar, Zague; Soler, Ugarte, Asensio; Lee, Kolo Muani, Barcola
UNAVAILABLE: Mbappe (Injured), Navas (Injured), Dembele (Injured), Hernandez (Injured), Kurzawa (Injured), Rico (Injured), Kimpembe (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
METZ VS PSG PREDICTION
If the unlikeliest outcome were to happen then it would be because Metz are playing the runaway champions PSG and Lorient do host bottom-of-the-table Clermont. That is the only reason for any Metz trepidation. They will, though, in all likelihood simply be planning for the relegation playoff and given that need for concentration, as well as PSG taking the last couple of months off and Georges Mikautadze’s form, makes Metz a good value bet.
METZ VS PSG TIP: DOUBLE CHANCE – METZ TO WIN OR DRAW
