Metz vs St Etienne prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 – Relegation – Play Offs betting tips on match 2024-06-01 15:00.
[p]Following a 2-1 defeat at Saint-Étienne on Thursday, Metz know that anything other than a win on Sunday in the second leg of their Ligue 1 relegation play-off will mean an immediate return to France’s second tier, although the Maroons may be comforted by the fact that they are unbeaten in their previous six home meetings with their upcoming opponents (W4, D2). [/p]
[p]Ominously however, Metz have now lost five games on the bounce overall and have only emerged victorious in one of the last six encounters on their own patch (D1, L4). Just one of their three home wins this season has been by more than a one-goal margin, so a penalty shootout seems a distinct possibility. LászlĂł Bölöni’s men wouldn’t seemingly relish the prospect of spot-kicks though, as their conversion rate via this method was 66.7% in the recently completed Ligue 1 campaign – the joint second-worst figure in the division. [/p]
[p]Relegated from Ligue 1 back in 2021/22 after a penalty shootout playoff loss to Auxerre, Saint-Étienne will be desperate for a top-flight return after two seasons away, and despite their recent struggles at Metz, no team won more matches on the road in the regular 2023/24 Ligue 2 campaign than Les Verts’ nine. And since Olivier Dall’Oglio’s appointment last December, they have been formidable when taking the lead, irrespective of the venue (W13, D2). [/p]
[p]Their astonishing comeback from 1-0 down in second-half stoppage time against Bordeaux in April to win 2-1 with ten men also demonstrated that they can handle the pressure when things are going against them, but interestingly, that was the first game in a run of five for Saint-Étienne which saw four red cards brandished in total, and given the high-stakes nature of this contest, don’t be surprised if we see another dismissal.  [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Ismaël Traoré’s first-leg equaliser for Metz was the sixth successive time he has scored in a match in which both teams on the day found the net. Hoping to play a key role in confirming Saint-Etienne’s promotion will be Mathieu Cafaro, who provided the two assists in last Friday’s first leg, and has either registered at least one goal involvement or been booked in four of his last seven games (G1, A2, YC2). [/p]
[p]Hot stat: In their last five home matches, Metz have conceded their first goal inside 35 minutes. [/p]