Concluding a triumphant Ligue 1 campaign, Paris Saint-Germain head to the Stade Saint-Symphorien on Sunday to face a Metz side destined to scrap for survival in the relegation playoffs.
While Luis Enrique's men are sitting pretty on their throne, their hosts reside in 16th place in the end-of-season table but could still be automatically demoted if results go against them.
Match preview
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A pair of back-to-back April successes over Lens and Le Havre may have ignited Metz hopes of a great escape from the bottom three, but the rude awakening of a three-game losing run leaves Les Grenats at serious risk of a swift demotion back down to Ligue 2.
Despite putting up strong fights in high-scoring home encounters with Rennes and Lille, Metz came out on the wrong end of the scoreline on both occasions, but neither result was as agonising as their late capitulation against Strasbourg in the penultimate gameweek.
On course for a precious three points thanks to a Georges Mikautadze strike, Laszlo Boloni's men flaunted their slender advantage until the dying embers of the contest, but an 89th-minute Emanuel Emegha effort and injury-time Andrey Santos header condemned Metz to the most excruciating of losses.
Consequently, the 16th-placed Grenats may be three points clear of 17th-placed Lorient - thereby requiring just a draw to at least avoid certain relegation - but they have a three-point gap to make up to Le Havre in 15th and are surely bound for the dreaded relegation/promotion playoff.
One of three Ligue 2 teams would await Metz in a two-legged shootout for top-flight status in that scenario, but if there is any crumb of comfort for the home crowd to cling onto, it is certainly their side's 11-game scoring run in the top flight, their longest streak since 1995.
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The summer of 2024 will be one of many farewells for some of Europe's celebrated names - particularly on the management side of things - but for PSG's all-time record scorer Kylian Mbappe, his swansong is not going entirely to plan.
While the obligatory Ligue 1 title is already in the trophy case, the customary Champions League heartbreak - this time in the semi-finals to Borussia Dortmund - preceded a 3-1 Ligue 1 loss to Toulouse in Mbappe's final top-flight home game, where he was allegedly also involved in a heated spat with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi after failing to mention him in his farewell video.
However, an Mbappe-less PSG - which will be commonplace from 2024-25 onwards - restored some honour in Wednesday's 2-1 success over Nice, where Euro 2024-bound Bradley Barcola and 18-year-old right-back Yoram Zague struck before Mohamed-Ali Cho halved the deficit.
Capable of hitting 76 points for the season with another maximum on Sunday - not exactly hitting the loftiest of their heights - PSG can still wrap up a transitional season with a domestic double; Lyon lie in wait for the Coupe de France final on May 25.
Before the trip to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy takes precedence, Les Parisiens have an authoritative streak to prolong against Metz, whom they have beaten a staggering 13 times in their last 13 Ligue 1 matches; one more would equal their overall competition winning record for a side against a specific opponent.
Team News
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After his red card from the loss to Rennes was rescinded and downgraded to a yellow, Metz's attacking hotshot Mikautadze took his rightful place in the Grenats attack against Strasbourg and made the net bulge for the sixth game in a row, notching a total of eight in that sublime sequence.
The Lyon-born Georgia international spearheads a team ruing the absences of Ablie Jallow (unspecified), Benjamin Tetteh and Joel Asoro (both unspecified), while midfielder Lamine Camara was also forced off midway through the second half last weekend.
The influential lynchpin has been passed for this weekend, though, as have Maxime Colin (ankle) and Papa Diallo (head), both of whom emerged as late doubts earlier in the week.
From one star striker to another, and departing PSG legend Mbappe was rested for the Nice victory due to discomfort in his hamstrings, but the Real Madrid-bound attacker is expected to be able to make his Ligue 1 farewell this weekend.
Ousmane Dembele (thigh) and another soon-to-be former PSG man Keylor Navas (illness) have strong chances of being available as well, but Lucas Hernandez (ACL), Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles), Layvin Kurzawa (back) and Sergio Rico (head) are all absent.
Despite justifying his starting role against Nice with the crucial winning goal, teenage right-back Zague will surely cede his spot to a well-rested Achraf Hakimi, and it remains to be seen whether Arnau Tenas will continue in goal over Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Metz possible starting lineup:
Oukidja; Colin, Traore, Sane, Cande; Van Den Kerkhof, Camara, Jacques, N'Doram, Diallo; Mikautadze
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar, Beraldo; Ruiz, Vitinha, Zaire-Emery; Asensio, Mbappe, Barcola
We say: Metz 1-3 Paris Saint-Germain
When Mikautadze is on song, Metz seldom have any problems making the net bulge and can certainly put a permeable PSG backline under the cosh, even if just for a brief moment.
However, a Parisiens unit reinforced by Mbappe's return should prove far too potent for their hosts in the final third themselves, as Enrique's men end the season on a high and leave Metz dancing with the demotion devil.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
