PSG – Metz

PSG as champions could help the Metz avoid relegation. Will the leader help the outsider?

On Matchday 38 of the French championship, PSG will play at home against Metz. The Parisians will want to say a final proper goodbye to the fans, who of course did not live up to their expectations after failing to perform well in the Champions League. And winning Ligue 1 does not make the Parisians too happy any more. But Metz have a very specific tournament objective, and they are not to be envied. That team are in the relegation zone, have the same number of points as Saint-Etienne but are ahead of the Greens thanks to a better goal difference. That said, it is clear that Saint-Etienne, who play Nantes, have a better chance of picking up points in the last round than Metz. And Metz will have to take desperate risks in a game against PSG themselves in a foreign field to keep their hopes of saving in Ligue 1 alive. It should be noted that Metz have been pleasantly surprising in recent rounds. They drew with Montpellier (2-2), before beating Lyon (3-2) and Angers (1-0), allowing them to go from hopeless outsider to a contender for the play-offs. But it seems too late for Frédéric Antonetti's side. Complicating the situation of the Metz will be the disqualification of attacking leader De Preville, as well as health problems for Hudol and Maig. PSG have all their leaders in place, but even if they rotate the squad, the Parisians look a much stronger than their opponents. In recent years, PSG have been playing somewhat slack and even indifferent to their defence, but they have been very successful offensively. The previous round saw a 4-0 defeat of Montpellier, before that there were tough draws against Troyes (2-2) and Strasbourg (3-3). So, the Parisians are trying not to lose out, despite their inherent laziness in Ligue 1. In the first leg, PSG pulled out an uneasy 2-1 win over Metz thanks to Hakimi's double. But the Parisians are playing with more confidence at home. They have not lost 21 games in a row - 18 wins and only three draws over that distance. But the Metz cannot win seven away matches in a row. In total, they have three away wins, six draws and nine defeats.