Metz and Lens will both endeavour to build on hugely impressive away victories in Ligue 1 when the two sides go head-to-head at the Stade Saint-Symphorien on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts enjoyed a 2-0 victory at high-flying Montpellier last time out, while Lens trounced Monaco 3-0 on their own turf as their bright start to the season continued.
Match preview
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Metz fans could certainly not have envisaged their side coming away from their encounter with Montpellier with one point yet alone three given both teams' respective runs of form.
However, Frederic Antonetti's men ripped up the form book to march to a 2-0 victory at the Stade de la Mosson on Wednesday evening, with Aaron Leya Iseka breaking the deadlock from the spot before Habib Maiga made sure of the win in injury time.
Les Grenats' midweek victory ended a five-game losing run for Antonetti's side, who have only tasted defeat twice in their last 12 top-flight matches, and Metz climbed one place above Bordeaux into 12th following Les Girondins' loss to Saint-Etienne.
Antonetti will now be tasked with ending Metz's three-game winless run on their own turf, and should Metz manage to overcome a confident Lens outfit, they could find themselves in the top half of the table depending on results elsewhere.
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Lens continue to produce some incredible shocks since making their return to the big time, and like Metz, Sang et Or prevailed comfortably at the home of a European-chasing side in midweek.
Franck Haise's men condemned Monaco to their third defeat in succession with a 3-0 win at the Stade Louis II, with Issiaga Sylla, Gael Kakuta and Simon Banza all finding the back of the net against Niko Kovac's side, who had Axel Disasi sent off in the first half.
While Lens were unable to take three points from their clash with Montpellier last weekend like Metz did, a resounding triumph on Monaco's turf epitomises their exceptional start to life in the 2020-21 campaign, with Haise's men now winning their last three away matches without shipping a single goal.
Wednesday's victory saw Lens overtake Monaco and keep chase with the European hopefuls in seventh, and Sang et Or are now only two points behind fifth-placed Montpellier with a game in hand.
Metz and Lens last locked horns in the 2018-19 Ligue 2 campaign, with Les Grenats winning this fixture 2-0 before a goalless stalemate on Lens' turf.
Metz Ligue 1 form: DDLLDW
Lens Ligue 1 form: WDLWLW
Team News
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Metz have no fresh injury concerns from their win over Montpellier, with Maiga shaking off a small problem to start and score in that crucial win.
Matthieu Udol, Vincent Pajot and Ibrahima Niane all occupy spots in the treatment room - with the latter unlikely to take to the pitch again this season following an ACL tear.
Antonetti will certainly be reluctant to make many alterations given the manner of his side's victory at the Stade de la Mosson, but Victorien Angban is an option for change in the middle of the park.
Lens will be able to welcome Loic Bade back to the fold after he served a suspension against Monaco, meaning that Massadio Haidara's spot in defence could be under threat.
It would be a shock to see any member of Haise's back three drop out following their performance at Monaco, though, with the visitors potentially tempted to name an unchanged starting lineup for this one.
Cheick Traore is Lens' only injured player as he continues to work his way back from an Achilles tendon rupture.
Metz possible starting lineup:
Oukidja; Centonze, Bronn, Boye, Kouyate, Delaine; Maiga, Angban, Gueye; Boulaya, Leya Iseka
Lens possible starting lineup:
Leca; Haidara, Medina, Gradit; Michelin, Doucoure, Fofana, Sylla; Kakuta; Banza, Ganago
We say: Metz 1-2 Lens
Lens' affinity for clean sheets on the road should serve them well in this game, but the visitors could struggle to keep out a Metz side who managed to overcome Montpellier on their own turf. The two teams should have a mutual respect for one another given their midweek results, but Lens have the look of a side who could push for a European berth and we expect Haise's men to eke out another away win on Saturday.
Top betting tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Lens win with a probability of 47.8%. A win for Metz had a probability of 26.25% and a draw had a probability of 25.9%.
The most likely scoreline for a Lens win was 0-1 with a probability of 11.87%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (9.22%) and 0-2 (8.88%). The likeliest Metz win was 1-0 (8.23%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.31%). The actual scoreline of 2-0 was predicted with a 4.3% likelihood.
