Metz vs Dunkerque prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 – Relegation – Play Offs betting tips on match 2025-05-16 15:00.
[p]After relegation from Ligue 1 last term via the relegation/promotion play-off, Metz are one victory away from having the chance of an immediate return via the same route after finishing the regular Ligue 2 season in third place. Having lost just one of their last ten league games (W6, D3), Stéphane Le Mignan’s side carry significant momentum into this clash with Dunkerque for the right to play the team that finishes 16th in Ligue 1.[/p]
[p]Finishing the Ligue 2 campaign in third affords them home advantage in this fixture, and that should boost confidence exponentially given the Maroons have only lost one home league game all season (W10, D6). That’s a sequence that included beating Dunkerque 2-0 here in December as they extended a perfect winning home H2H record to six matches, with all six coming by a 2+ goal margin.[/p]
[p]Dunkerque’s memorable season continues for at least one more game after they beat Guingamp 1-0 on Wednesday night to set up this fixture and keep their dream of top-flight football alive. They were only promoted from the third tier in 2022/23, but their run to this term’s Coupe de France semi-final where they lost to Paris Saint-Germain has underlined the club’s ambition and potential. [/p]
[p]Having made the most of home advantage to see off Guingamp, hitting the road seemingly harms their chances here as they won none of their final five league away games of the regular season (D1, L4). As they failed to score in three of those defeats, Dunkerque will need a performance similar to the ones they produced to beat Ligue 1 teams Auxerre, Brest and Lille away from home during their remarkable cup run earlier this term.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Having scored after the 80th minute in both of Metz’s last two games, Cheikh Sabaly has now struck his last four goals after the hour mark, a sequence that started against Dunkerque in March (W 3-2). Maxence Rivera was Dunkerque’s hero against Guingamp with his fourth goal for the club, all of which came before the 50th minute while three opened the scoring.[/p]
[p]Hot streak: None of Dunkerque’s last seven fixtures witnessed goals in both halves.[/p]
[p][i]Written by John Pennington[/i][/p]