Metz and Reims will be looking to get off the mark with their first Ligue 1 victory of the 2020-21 campaign when they meet at Stade Saint-Symphorien on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts have lost all three matches so far this season, including a last-minute defeat at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, while Reims have collected a solitary point.
Match preview
Metz were seconds away from holding PSG to a goalless draw in their most recent outing, only for Julian Draxler to pop up deep in injury time for the 10-man champions.
It was a cruel blow for Les Grenats, who are now on their longest losing streak in a year and in desperate need of a positive result this weekend to kickstart their campaign.
Reims have hardly made the best of starts, either, sitting one point and one place above their opponents just outside the relegation zone.
David Guion's charges chucked away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Monaco on the opening weekend, before losing 1-0 against Lille and Angers in their last two league outings.
However, the Red and Whites put those disappointing results behind them on Thursday as they kicked off their Europa League adventure with a second-qualifying round win at Servette.
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European football is Reims' reward for finishing sixth last time out, but they are already a long way from those heights with three games of 2020-21 played.
On the face of it, this could be the ideal fixture for Reims to carry that European momentum into their domestic season, with Metz losing three of their last four home games.
That is as many defeats as they suffered in their previous 11 at Stade Saint-Symphorien, and Vincent Hognon's charges are the only side yet to score in the first three rounds, losing 1-0 to Monaco, Lille and PSG.
However, Metz are unbeaten in their last 10 games against Reims in Ligue 1 - their best current run against a Ligue 1 opponent, winning seven of those.
Metz Ligue 1 form: LLL
Reims Ligue 1 form: DLL
Reims form (all competitions): DLLW
Team News
Hognon is expected to change formation and personnel on the back of the late loss at PSG, having gone with five across the back at the Parc des Princes.
Kevin N'Doram and Manuel Cabit are injured and will play no part, while Thomas Delaine may also be struggling for fitness after a spell on the sidelines.
Metz goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja has made 114 saves since the start of last season in Ligue 1, which is more than any other goalkeeper over that period.
As for the visitors, Wout Faes is suspended after picking up a red card against Angers last weekend, so Marshall Munetsi is expected to partner Dario Maresic at centre-back.
Yunis Abdelhamid is Reims' other confirmed absentee after recently testing positive for coronavirus.
Boulaye Dia, who has one goal in three games this term, is expected to start through the middle in a 4-3-3 formation.
Metz possible starting lineup:
Oukidja; Centonze, Bronn, Boye, Udol; Maiga, Angban, Pajot; Boulaya, Niane, Nguette
Reims possible starting lineup:
Rajkovic; Foket, Munetsi, Marseic, Konan; Chavalerin, Cassama, Berisha; Zeneli, Dia, Cafaro
We say: Metz 0-1 Reims
Metz have struggled at home and Reims are winless in five matches on their travels in Ligue 1. After picking up a morale-boosting victory in Europe on Thursday, though, we are going with an away win in this contest.
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 Metz win with a probability of 39.83%. A win for Reims had a probability of 32.33% and a draw had a probability of 27.8%.
The most likely scoreline for a Metz win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.86%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.23%) and 2-0 (7.46%). The likeliest Reims win was 0-1 (10.41%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.09%). The actual scoreline of 2-1 was predicted with an 8.2% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Metz would win this match.
