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

On the back of two straight wins, Metz return to Stade Saint-Symphorien on Sunday for a date with Nice on matchday 12 of the Ligue 1 campaign.

A 2-0 win at Nantes has the Lorraine side sitting 17th heading into this weekend, while Nice are eighth after a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat versus Paris Saint-Germain.

Match preview

Something seems to have snapped in Metz since they were hammered 6-1 by Lille on matchday nine, with this team suddenly coming to life domestically.

Stephane Le Mignan had seen his side lose their first three matches in October by a combined margin of 13-1, but they will enter this weekend with consecutive triumphs, failing to concede in either outing.

Another victory on Sunday would mark their first three-match winning run in the top-flight since 2021, when they triumphed in their final three contests in January.

At the same time, a victory this weekend would give them consecutive top-flight wins at Stade Saint-Symphorien for the first time since May 2022.

Their strong form over the past two weeks has seen them move out of the Ligue 1 basement and just a single point below the relegation line heading into matchday 12.

Les Merlus have not lost a domestic encounter at home when scoring first in either Ligue 1 or 2 since Rennes came back to beat them 3-2 in a 2024 top-flight affair.

Seemingly moments away from a single point, Nice were beaten by PSG at the very end, with the latter scoring in the 95th minute in a match where the visitors will surely feel hard done by.

Franck Haise’s men have lost two of their previous three away matches across all competitions, while claiming just one away triumph in the league this season (2-1 at Rennes).

Nice will try to avoid suffering consecutive league defeats on Sunday for the second time this season, having lost their first two away games of the new campaign.

Since suffering a 3-2 defeat at Monaco in 2024, this team have not lost a single Ligue 1 fixture when netting multiple times, dropping points only once this season when doing so.

With three wins in their last four top-flight encounters, Nice have put themselves back in the race for Europe next season, with only three points currently separating them from fourth-place Lille heading into this weekend’s action.

Le Gym have won their previous three meeting against Metz in this competition, failing to concede a single goal in either of those outings, including a 1-0 win at Stade Saint-Symphorien in 2023.

Metz Ligue 1 form:

Nice Ligue 1 form:

Nice form (all competitions):

Team News

Due to a sore foot, Malick Mbaye is expected to sit out of this game for Metz, while Urie-Michel Mboula and Fode-Ballo Toure are doubtful with hamstring strains.

Both Sadibou Sane and captain Gauthier Hein will be eligible to return from their suspensions which saw them miss their victory over Nantes.

Giorgi Abuashvili and Habib Diallo scored in the latter stages of that encounter, while Jonathan Fischer made four saves for his second successive clean sheet.

On the Nice side, Youssouf Ndayishimiye and Mohamed Abdelmonem are out with cruciate ligament injuries, Moise Bombito has a lower leg fracture and Terem Moffi is doubtful with a calf strain.

It is unlikely we will see Jonathan Clauss return from his knee injury on Sunday, while their leading goalsorer in Ligue 1, Sofiane Diop is questionable with a hamstring strain.

Kevin Carlos netted the only goal for them on Thursday in their 3-1 Europa League defeat versus Freiburg, his second of that competition.

Metz possible starting lineup:

Fischer; Kouao, Gbamin, Yegbe, Colin; A. Toure, Deminguet; Tsitaishvili, Hein, Sane; Diallo

Nice possible starting lineup:

Diouf; Mendy; Bah, Oppong; Abdi; Boudaoui, Vanhoutte, Ndombele; Sanson; Gouveia; Boga

We say: Metz 1-1 Nice

There is a renewed confidence at Metz right now, but they have also not been super convincing until the latter stages of their recent matches, and we do not expect them to be quite so lucky a third time running.

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