Metz entertain Nice in Ligue 1 on Saturday evening, with the hosts looking to extend their recent run of good form.
A 0-0 draw last time out for Frederic Antonetti's men saw them pick up their seventh point from a possible 12, while Les Aiglons lost their fourth game in seven matches under their new boss.
Match preview
© Reuters
The Stade Saint-Symphorien outfit have only conceded one goal in their last four outings and currently boast the fourth-best defensive record in the division.
Les Grenats are enjoying a decent 2020-21 campaign to date, with their 24-point haul leaving them 11th in the table.
Avoiding relegation would have been the aim for Antonetti's side before the start of the season and being 11 points clear of the bottom three at the halfway stage will be deemed a huge success.
They face a mid-table rival in the shape of Nice, and if Metz want to start looking up the table rather than over their shoulders, then three points over the weekend would be a good place to start.
It has been a difficult start to life in the south of France for Adrian Ursea after the Romanian head coach took over from Patrick Vieira last month.
Just one league win has followed for the Allianz Riviera outfit, and their descent towards the drop zone has continued.
Despite their recent struggles, a win on Saturday would mean Nice leapfrog their opponents in the standings and see a more positive outlook return to the club that finished the previous season in fifth position.
Conceding goals has been an issue of late, however, with eight efforts leaked in their last three appearances.
If Ursea wants to turn things around at the four-time French champions, then solving their defensive issues will be pivotal.
Metz Ligue 1 form: LDWWLD
Nice Ligue 1 form: DLLLDL
Nice form (all competitions): LLLLDL
Team News
© Reuters
Metz will once again be without long-term absentees Manuel Cabit and Ibrahima Niane, who both face lengthy spells on the sidelines.
Antonetti is unlikely to make many changes from his side's recent game against Bordeaux, given the team's performances of late.
Experienced centre-back Dante is expected to be out for the remainder of the season following a cruciate ligament injury picked up in November.
The former Bayern Munich man's absence has been a big blow to Nice, but they have recently signed Arsenal youngster William Saliba on loan, who could make his second start for Les Aiglons.
Left-back Racine Coly is also on the treatment table, with the Senegal international nursing a neck injury.
Metz possible starting lineup:
Caillard; Centonze, Bronn, Kouyate, Boye; Gueye, Angban, Fofana, Yade; Boulaya; Leya
Nice possible starting lineup:
Benitez; Daniliuc, Nsoki, Saliba; Attal, Schneiderlin, Thuram, Lotomba; Boudaoui, Reine-Adelaide; Lopes
We say: Metz 1-1 Nice
This mid-table clash is likely to be a low scoring affair, despite Nice's troubles at the back in the last few weeks. Neither side score freely and both are likely to be happy to settle for a share of the spoils.
Top betting tip
George Cannon
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Nice win with a probability of 37.21%. A win for Metz had a probability of 35.97% and a draw had a probability of 26.8%.
The most likely scoreline for a Nice win was 0-1 with a probability of 10.19%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.14%) and 0-2 (6.51%). The likeliest Metz win was 1-0 (9.98%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.75%). The actual scoreline of 1-1 was predicted with a 12.8% likelihood.
