Already relegated Metz dey host Lorient for Sunday penultimate round of Ligue 1 season, aiming to claim their first win of 2026.
Appointed at start of 2026, Benoit Tavenot never get league win since he take over, but di hosts hope for some joy for di season final game at Stade Saint-Symphorien.
Metz and Lorient secure promotion from Ligue 2 at end of last season, but di 2025-26 season don treat di latter better dan di former.
Di Maroons dey face uphill challenge after winning only three games before start of 2026. Many fit scoff for disbelief if dem tell dem say November 2-1 success over Nice, following two 2-0 wins against Lens and Nantes, go be dia last.
However, Les Grenats no fit build on dia three-match winning streak. Di Lorraine outfit don fail to win for 20 top-flight fixtures since then. Fifteen of those games na defeats, highlighting dia struggles throughout campaign wey leave dem on 16 points after 32 rounds.
Entering dis weekend after dem concede 72 goals, 21 more dan second-bottom Nantes, Tavenot team go get dia motivation tested against opponent wey dem no lose to for three matches.
A closer look, however, show say all three games end for stalemate. Les Merlus thus enter Sunday encounter without loss to Metz for di past three years.
After dem secure 2-1 success at Stade Saint-Symphorien for February 2024 and nick 1-1 draw for September 2024, di Brittany-based visitors dey unbeaten for dia last two visits to dis weekend hosts. Dia last loss na 4-1 for December 2021.
E go interesting to see which version of di away side show up, given dia mid-table status with little to play for aside from finish as high as possible.
Olivier Pantaloni team dey ninth for table, without possibility to end for top six, as Monaco dey 12 points ahead and definitely no dey danger of bottom-three finish.
Dat situation likely explain why Le FCL don claim only one win from dia last five for di competition, drawing two and losing as many. Dem fresh from 2-2 draw with champions-elect Paris Saint-Germain.
While dat point end two-match losing run away from home, Lorient dey winless on dia travels since dem secure back-to-back wins at Monaco (3-1) and Rennes (2-0). Both na dia only triumphs on di road all season.
Against di division worst side and one winless for 2026, Lorient go hope to end dat six-match winless away run outside Brittany.
Joseph Mangondo and Boubacar Traore dey miss Sunday game for Metz due to knee injuries, while Alpha Toure dey carry knock.
Gauthier Hein na di Maroons leading attacking threat, as e show by im 15 goal contributions — eight goals and seven assists — wey e seek to add to against di mid-table visitors.
Theo Le Bris never play for Lorient since April defeat to Lyon due to hamstring issue, wey go rule am out of dis weekend action.
Only Pablo Pagis (10 goals) don hit double figures for Les Merlus, though Bamba Dieng need one more strike to match di young Frenchman tally.
Pagis, though, dey for superior form, after e score or assist for four of im last five Ligue 1 appearances, with Dieng only manage two goals for im last five matches.
Metz possible starting lineup: Sy; Sarr, Sane, Yegbe, Tsitaishvili; Stambouli, Gbamin; Hein, Deminguet, Mbala; Kvilitaia.
Lorient possible starting lineup: Mvogo; Talbi, Adjei, Faye; Katseris, Abergel, Cadiou, Kouassi; Ebong, Pagis; Dieng.
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