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

Visiting Stade Saint-Symphorien for the first time in over two years, Marseille will look to maintain a top-three position in the Ligue 1 table when they face Metz on Saturday.

Metz are the only side without a victory in this competition, playing to a 0-0 draw with Le Havre last week, while OM came from behind to defeat Strasbourg 2-1 on matchday six.

Match preview

Six games into the new season, and Stephane Le Mignan is still awaiting his side’s first victory after a dismal attacking display last weekend.

The third lowest-scoring team in the league so far (five goals) did not register a single effort on the target against Le Havre, failing to score for the third time this season.

On the positive side, though, they have points in back-to-back home encounters, conceding only two of their 13 goals this season at home.

They will try to end a five-match winless run at home in the top-flight on Saturday, having won 10 of their previous 12 Ligue 1 affairs before that in Metz.

After six matchdays, they have the highest expected goals against in the league at 12.6 and the fourth-lowest expected goals rate themselves (7.0).

Les Grenats have points in six of their previous seven meetings with OM in this competition but have not beaten them at home since 2017 (1-0).

A controversial loss to Real Madrid in their opening Champions League match seems to have lit a spark in Marseille, who have since reeled off some impressive displays.

Heading into this game, Roberto De Zerbi’s men are on a three-match winning run across all competitions, scoring six times while conceding only once.

A win on Saturday would give them consecutive away triumphs in Ligue 1 for the first time in 2025, with this team losing two of their three domestic games this season outside the Stade Velodrome, failing to score in those two defeats.

Marseille won two of their three away matches domestically last season against newly promoted sides, with their only defeat coming at Auxerre in February (3-0).

Three points currently separate them from the top of the table heading into this weekend, with three of their five goals conceded in Ligue 1 coming away from home.

Les Olympiens are unbeaten in their previous nine top-flight meetings with Metz, scoring eight minutes from the end to earn a 2-2 draw in their previous visit to Stade Saint-Symphorien in 2023.

Metz Ligue 1 form:

Marseille Ligue 1 form:

Marseille form (all competitions):

Team News

A sore foot kept Malick Mbaye out of the Metz lineup on matchday six, and Fode Ballo-Toure was sidelined once again due to a knock.

Sadibou Sane is eligible to return on Saturday from his suspension, while Jonathan Fischer made two stops between the sticks for his first Ligue 1 clean sheet of the season last week.

On matchday six, Ruben Blanco sat out for OM with a knee issue, Geoffrey Kondogbia was dealing with a calf strain, Hamed Traore had a leg injury and Facundo Medina was sidelined because of an ankle problem.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang equalised against Strasbourg 12 minutes from the end, setting the stage for defender Michael Murillo to score the winner in stoppage time.

Metz possible starting lineup:

Fischer; Kouao, Yegbe, Gbamin; Tsitaishvili, B. Traore, Deminguet, Sane; Hein, Sabaly; Diallo

Marseille possible starting lineup:

Rulli; Murillo, Balerdi, Aguerd, Medina; O’Riley, Hojbjerg; Greenwood, Gomes, Weah; Gouiri

We say: Metz 0-1 Marseille

This may be a tougher match for Marseille than what the standings suggest, however, the visitors are a resourceful bunch who have shown an ability to keep their composure in close games in recent times.

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