Preview: Lens vs Metz - prediction, team news, lineups

Lens will aim to return to winning ways on Sunday when they welcome bottom club Metz to the Stade Bollaert-Delelis for their matchday 25 clash in Ligue 1.

Les Sang et Or currently sit four points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain with 10 matches remaining, keeping their hopes of UEFA Champions League qualification alive, while the visitors arrive locked in a battle for survival despite having enjoyed some success at this stadium in recent seasons.

Match preview

It seemed the engines were beginning to stall for Lens, one of the surprise packages of this season’s Ligue 1 campaign, after they dropped points in consecutive league matches, but Thursday’s Coupe de France quarter-final victory over Lyon should restore confidence.

A few weeks ago Lens were neck-and-neck with PSG at the summit of the table, but a defeat and a draw in their last two league outings have seen them lose ground and slip four points behind the reigning champions, a significant gap given PSG’s strength and squad depth.

Pierre Sage’s side also surprisingly surrendered a two-goal lead at home to AS Monaco two weeks ago, losing not only the match but also their grip on first place in the standings.

However, last weekend’s 1-1 draw away to RC Strasbourg Alsace moved the northern French outfit onto 53 points this season, already surpassing their entire tally from the 2024–25 campaign (52) when they finished eighth, while Sage has also recorded two more league wins (17) than his predecessor Will Still managed during the previous campaign as the club chase a place in the league phase of the Champions League.

Lens have also been formidable at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis this season, boasting the second-best home record in the division behind PSG with 10 wins from 12 matches, and a meeting with bottom club Metz could help extend that impressive run.

Despite being favourites for Sunday’s encounter, Metz claimed their first league victory of the campaign against Lens back in October with a 2-0 win, and Les Sang et Or have actually won only one of their last five meetings with the visitors, losing three and drawing once.

© Imago / PRESSE SPORTS

It would take something close to a miracle for Metz to avoid relegation this season, and recent results have only reinforced that bleak outlook after Benoit Tavenot’s side suffered their third consecutive Ligue 1 defeat last weekend at home to Brest.

Les Grenats have not won in the top flight since beating Nice at home before the November 2025 international break, and they are currently enduring the longest winless run in the division despite a managerial change intended to spark improvement.

Tavenot, who replaced the dismissed Stephane Le Mignan, has endured a difficult start by overseeing six league matches that produced one draw and five defeats, including a 3-0 loss away to reigning champions PSG as well as another defeat against fellow relegation battlers AJ Auxerre in recent weeks.

They have also failed to win away from home in this competition since November 2 at FC Nantes, collecting just one point on the road since that victory.

The Lorraine club currently sit five points behind Auxerre in the race for a relegation playoff spot and have lost a league-high 17 matches in Ligue 1 this season.

Metz have yet to earn a point away from home this campaign against a side currently in the top five, although they did defeat Sunday’s opponent 2-0 at home in late October.

Lens Ligue 1 form:

Lens form (all competitions):

Metz Ligue 1 form:

Team News

© Imago

Lens will be without Regis Gurtner and Samson Baidoo due to ongoing hamstring problems, while Jonathan Gradit is dealing with a lower-leg injury and Ruben Aguilar remains sidelined with a calf issue; fellow defender Kyllian Antonio is also unavailable because of a foot problem and Mamadou Sangare is struggling with a pelvic injury.

Winter signing and former West Ham United defender Arthur Masuaku began the recent Coupe de France tie against Olympique Lyonnais on the bench but was sent off while warming up after speaking to the assistant referee, who reported the incident to the match official that subsequently issued a red card.

For the visitors, Metz will remain without goalkeeper Pape Sy as he continues to recover from a head injury, while midfielder Benjamin Stambouli is set to miss a fourth consecutive match with a rib problem.

Forward Joseph Mangondo is still sidelined with a knee injury, top scorer Gauthier Hein is expected to miss a second straight game due to an ankle issue, and midfielder Ismael Guerti could also remain unavailable.

Lens possible starting lineup:

Risser; Celik, Ganiou, Sarr; Thomasson, Sangare, Abdulhamid, Udol; Thauvin, Sima, Edouard

Metz possible starting lineup:

Fischer; Kouao, Sane, Gbamin, Colin; Ballo-Toure, A. Traore, Munongo, Tsitaishvili, Sarr; Diallo

We say: Lens 4-0 Metz

On paper this should be a straightforward victory for RC Lens, although it is a fixture that has caused them problems in recent seasons.

With Champions League qualification on the line and rivals gathering momentum in the closing weeks of the campaign, Sage’s side are expected to attack aggressively and should secure a convincing win on Sunday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.