Seeking a fifth straight win in all tournaments, Lyon bid to continue their Ligue 1 renaissance on Friday evening, when they face Metz under the bright lights of the Stade Saint-Symphorien.
In contrast, the relegation-threatened hosts remain winless since the turn of the year and returned to losing ways in comprehensive fashion in gameweek 22.
Match preview
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Nine days on from leaving Marseille's turf with a praiseworthy 1-1 draw to their name - thanks to an early red card for a faltering Olympiens unit - Metz made the long journey south to face a Montpellier HSC crop whom they would have leapfrogged in the standings with a win.
However, a third-minute strike from Montpellier wing-back Issiaga Sylla set the tone for the Stade de la Mosson meeting, where Modibo Sagnan's near-post header and Teji Savanier's clinical penalty also contributed to a resounding 3-0 success for La Paillade, who like many teams before them penetrated the five-man Metz backline with ease.
Laszlo Boloni's charges were not without their opportunities on the day, but pivotal interventions from Montpellier stopper Benjamin Lecomte and midfielder Joris Chotard denied Les Grenats a consolation goal, and Metz remain one of the favourites for relegation back down to Ligue 2.
On account of a nine-game winless run in the top flight - in which eight of their contests have ended in defeat - Les Grenats are second-from-bottom in the Ligue 1 table, only one point better off than basement team Clermont and five adrift of Montpellier, Lorient and Nantes.
The latter side are the only outfit to suffer defeat to Metz at the Stade Saint-Symphorien this term, since when Boloni's men have been beaten in five straight home contests across Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France, and a measly six points on familiar turf is the worst record of its kind in the French top flight.
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While Metz are on a seemingly inexorable slide towards the Ligue 1 trap door, Pierre Sage's rejuvenated Lyon have almost consigned any concerns of an unimaginable demotion to history, and their fourth consecutive win across all tournaments arrived at the Groupama Stadium last Friday.
Taking a leaf out of Nice's defensive book, Les Gones shut out Paris Saint-Germain's closest title challengers and only needed to make the net ripple once to send Les Aiglons home empty-handed - Nottingham Forest-owned Orel Mangala crashed home the winner with 22 minutes on the board.
After only managing an unacceptable one win from their opening 14 games of the new season, Lyon now have six triumphs to boast from their last eight Ligue 1 contests - including each of their last three - to shoot up to 11th in the 18-team standings, now with an eight-point chasm separating them from the automatic drop zone.
A season that could have ended in a devastating relegation may now conclude with a major trophy in the cabinet - Lyon face Strasbourg in the Coupe de France quarter-finals four days after Friday's affair - although Sage's side have only won one Ligue 1 game by at least a two-goal margin in 2023-24.
Furthermore, Les Gones posted eight straight wins against Metz from 2015 to 2020, but they have only triumphed in one of their last five meetings with Les Grenats - a 2-1 Coupe de France success last term - and they left it late to rescue a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture during Fabio Grosso's ill-fated tenure.
Team News
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An untimely attacking concern has reared its ugly head for Metz, who lost Didier Lamkel Ze to an unspecified injury in the dying embers of their loss to Montpellier, although it is not clear whether the Hatayspor loanee has sustained any serious damage.
While Ibou Sane and Benjamin Tetteh represent out-and-out central options, either one of two wingers in Joel Asoro and Cheikh Sabaly should step in if necessary alongside Georges Mikautadze, now on a five-game scoreless streak in Ligue 1 after netting in two of his first three since returning on loan from Ajax.
Kevin N'Doram (thigh) and Ablie Jallow (hamstring) are still in the care of the Metz medical team; the former's injury should see 19-year-old Joseph Nduquidi make his second straight start in the engine room.
As far as Lyon are concerned, Sage will welcome Irish defender Jake O'Brien back to the fold following a yellow-card suspension, but left-back Nicolas Tagliafico is now in the naughty corner for the same offence.
O'Brien will therefore be offered a ticket straight back into the first XI, where either Clinton Mata or Ainsley Maitland-Niles should be shifted across to the left flank to deputise for Tagliafico, one of five expected absentees for Sage's team this week.
Corentin Tolisso (hamstring), Dejan Lovren (unspecified), Henrique (unspecified) and Johann Lepenant (knee) are still recovering from their afflictions, but the latter is on track to make his first-team comeback in the next couple of weeks.
Metz possible starting lineup:
Oukidja; Van Den Kerkhof, Herelle, Sane, Traore, Udol; Jacques, Nduquidi; Camara; Asoro, Mikautadze
Lyon possible starting lineup:
Lopes; Mata, O'Brien, Caleta-Car, Maitland-Niles; Caqueret, Matic, Mangala; Nuamah, Lacazette, Benrahma
We say: Metz 0-2 Lyon
Lyon may have lost their dominant streak against a side who used to prove no match for them, but with the form book on their side as well as the return of O'Brien - a towering figure in both boxes - another fun Friday is in store for the Gones faithful.
Confidence-depleted and often leaving a lot to be desired at home, Metz should be no match for their reawakaned visitors, who ought to rise into the top 10 of the rankings while speeding up their hosts' return to the second tier.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
