Lyon vs. FC Metz – Prediction (French Ligue 1 – 26.10.2019)

Preview and Teams Comparison.

Lyon have won 10 of their last 11 games against Metz in Ligue 1 (L1), keeping nine clean sheets in that time. Metz have won two of their last four games in Ligue 1 (D1 L1), as many as in their previous 21 (D6 L13). Lyon are winless in their last eight games in Ligue 1 (D4 L4) – the last went nine in a row in the same top-flight season between December 1965-April 1966 (11). It is the longest current drought in L1.

A dreadful Ligue 1 (L1) campaign so far has Lyon on the brink of falling into the relegation zone, after winning just two of their ten games (W2, D4, L4), and netting an average of 1.4 goals per match. It doesn’t look much better at home, where Lyon have failed to score in three consecutive L1 home matches (D1, L2) – the first time they’ve done that since August 1997. Five of Moussa Dembélé’s (LYO) six L1 goals this campaign have arrived before half-time. In fact, Lyon’s previous five competitive home matches have all finished with under 2.5 goals (D3, L2), with the last three goalless at half-time. That seems a far cry from the last four competitive H2Hs held here that saw Lyon winning ‘to nil’ by the break (W4).

Four of Lyon’s last five L1 victories have come by at least a three-goal margin. Both teams have scored in just two of the last 11 top-flight H2Hs. The opener has been scored by the 20th minute in three of Metz’s last four games.

Despite having one more win than their hosts this L1 campaign, Metz (W3, D2, L5) travel here after losing three of their five top-flight away games ‘to nil’ (W1, D1, L3), and were trailing at the break in four (HT: W1, L4). Habib Diallo has netted in four of Metz’s last five L1 games – he scored the opener in three of those matches. Whilst four of those five away games finished with under 2.5 goals, it’s the first 15 minutes that could see the most action – Metz have conceded four of their eight away league goals this season during that period. Partly as a result of that, all five of their L1 road trips have seen the opener netted by the 25th minute.

Match Info and Live Scores.

Pre-match League Table.