Relegation-threatened Metz hope to end their Ligue 1 Monaco hoodoo when they host Les Monegasques at Stade Saint-Symphorien on Saturday.
The round 27 encounter takes place after the international break, with the home side going into the hiatus on the back of a disappointing defeat to Reims, while their visitors missed an opportunity to go second with a draw with Lorient.
Match preview
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Just when Metz thought the corner was turned after two Ligue 1 victories on the trot, the Maroons were beaten 2-1 by Reims before the international break.
Laszlo Boloni's men were 11 minutes (excluding additional time) away from securing a 1-1 draw against Will Still's side, only to be punished by a 79th-minute concession to Junya Ito, preventing the second-bottom club from leaving the automatic relegation spots.
Despite the setback, that loss was far from fatal as Metz still have survival in their hands, and beating Monaco this weekend could take the 17th-placed side outside the dreaded positions if results elsewhere go their way.
However, a wretched sequence of results against this weekend's opponent could be their undoing, as the away side have secured seven victories on their last eight visits to Metz in all competitions.
Overcoming that psychological disadvantage could be crucial in claiming the much-needed points on Saturday for Boloni's troops, and the 71-year-old manager hopes to avoid another loss on Saturday.
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Monaco aim to knock back any attempt from the hosts to avoid losing this weekend as they seek to enhance their Champions League qualification prospects.
Those aspirations could have been handed a significant boost before the break, but a late equaliser from old boy Tiemoue Bakayoko saw relegation-threatened Lorient secure a 2-2 draw at Stade Louis II in gameweek 26.
Adi Hutter will hope his team avoid a similar outcome against another side battling for their lives this weekend, keen to leapfrog second-placed Brest, who sit one point clear in the standings.
Excluding penalty shootouts, only Toulouse have beaten Monaco in all competitions since Reims stunned the Monegasques 3-1 in a Ligue 1 clash, with a 2-1 home loss to Toulouse on February 18 only the second league defeat suffered by Hutter's men in nine top-flight games in 2024.
However, Monaco must find ways to nick maximum points as four of the undefeated seven matches in the New Year have been drawn, further highlighting the disappointment of the Lorient tie before the international break.
While the third-placed side (46 points) have Brest in their sights, they must also keep a close eye on the chasing trio of Lille (43), Nice (43) and Lens (42), who have a shout on supplanting Hutter's men in an exciting tussle for the coveted Champions League positions.
Team News
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Danley Jean Jacques and Cheikh Sabaly are missing this weekend's match because of suspension.
Injuries mean Kevin N'Doram, Benjamin Tetteh, Ismael Traore and Pape Diallo are absent.
Despite firing blanks in the defeat to Reims, Georges Mikautadze has contributed to four goals (three goals, one assist) in his last four league appearances, pointing to his match-winning qualities.
Denis Zakaria is missing through suspension after getting sent off in Monaco's draw with Lorient before the international break.
Guillermo Maripan (muscle), Mohammed Salisu (hamstring) and Mohamed Camara (knee) are absent because of injury, while Caio Henrique and Breel Embolo are unlikely to be fit enough to play.
Wissam Ben Yedder (11 goals) has a strong supporting cast capable of producing match-winning moments — Aleksandr Golovin and Takumi Minamino (both six) and Folarin Balogun (five) could be pivotal for Monaco.
Metz possible starting lineup:
Oukidja; Colin, Herelle, Cande, Udol; N'Duquidi, Camara, Atta; Kerkhof, Mikautadze, Asoro
Monaco possible starting lineup:
Majecki; Vanderson, Singo, Kehrer, Ouattara; Akliouche, Fofana, Diatta, Golovin; Balogun, Ben Yedder
We say: Metz 1-2 Monaco
Monaco have surprisingly fared better recently on their travels, winning the last three at Nice (3-2), Lens (3-2) and Strasbourg (1-0) compared to picking up a point from six in recent home matches.
The visitors are backed for another road success at Metz's expense, with the home team unlikely to avoid back-to-back losses.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
