Metz vs Brest prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2023-12-09 14:00.
Metz's aspirations of clinching three consecutive victories in Ligue 1 for the first time in nearly three years were crushed following their 2-0 defeat to Lille last weekend. Coach Laszlo Bölöni openly expressed his disappointment after the game, lamenting that his players were "unable to generate more attacking power", after he saw his side miss two penalties in that defeat.
A return home is nearly always a boost for any club, but the Maroons have picked up only six of their 16 Ligue 1 points at the Saint-Symphorien Stadium (W1, D3, L2), although theyâll hope better times are ahead after claiming their first home victory of the season when beating Nantes in round 12. History suggests that enhancing their poor home record will be a challenge, considering Metz havenât won a single Ligue 1 home H2H since 1987, with the most recent two resulting in losses âto nilâ.
Like their hosts, Brest saw their promising run of back-to-back victories come to an end in midweek, having to settle for a 1-1 draw against Strasbourg in a rescheduled Ligue 1 encounter. Conceding in the 80th minute was "frustrating" according to coach Ăric Roy, and it proved to be particularly costly, as Brest could have entered this round in fifth, but instead remained stuck just outside the European spots.
The Pirates make the trip to the east of France aiming to continue a trend that has seen the away side on the day emerge victorious in the previous five H2Hs. In a stat that implies they should at least get a point here, Brest have avoided defeat in their previous six top-flight away games against newly-promoted sides (W1, D5), with four featuring a 1-1 scoreline.
Players to watch: Cheikh Sabaly would be the most likely candidate to get Metz off to a good start, given that he has opened the scoring in four of his last five goalscoring appearances. Pierre Lees-Melou will be looking to outperform him, as four of his last five goals for Brest have come in away matches.
Hot stat: Since the beginning of last season, Brest havenât lost any of their four Ligue 1 away games that saw them start as favourites (W1, D3).