As expected, Metz is fighting for survival in Ligue 1 this season. This club has one of the most modest budgets in the league and does not have any star players in its lineup. However, Metz’s situation is not hopeless. They are in 17th place, but the gap from Lorient, who are in 16th place, is only three points. In the last three matches of Ligue 1, Metz has not earned any points. They first lost to Reims 1-2, and then conceded 7 goals in 2 games – 2-5 against Monaco and 3-4 against Brest.
Lens, who finished second last season, is not having such a successful season this time. Currently, the blood and gold are in sixth place and are competing with Nice for a place in the Europa League. At the moment, the gap from Nice is only one point. However, there is a risk of falling out of the European zone altogether, as Reims are only three points behind, and Marseille and Rennes are four points behind. Lens’s recent results are not impressive at all. In the last three games, they lost to their direct competitors Nice (1-3) and Lille (1-2), and last weekend they dropped points against the outsider Le Havre (1-1).
