The Matchday 2 clash in Ligue 1 between Lyon and Metz will take place on August 23 at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais. Lyon vs. Metz: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Lyon
Lyon began their French championship campaign with a 1-0 away victory over Lens, extending their unbeaten run in the tournament to 16 matches (10 wins, 6 losses). Notably, the club has kept clean sheets in two consecutive Ligue 1 matches, a feat they hadn't achieved since October 2024. In the previous championship, Lyon performed well at home, avoiding defeat in 13 of 17 matches, scoring 37 goals and conceding 21. Furthermore, Lyon has scored in eight consecutive home matches in Ligue 1.
- No more than 3 goals have been scored in 5 of Lyon's last 6 matches in the French championship.
- At home, the club has won 5 of their last 6 Ligue 1 matches (1 loss).
- The team has scored at least twice in 7 of their last 8 home matches in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Lyon (4-5-1)
Remy Deschamps – Sael Kumbedi, Clinton Mata, Moussa Niakate, Abner – Tyler Morton, Tanner Tessmann, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Corentin Tolisso, Malik Fofana – Georges Mikautadze.
Metz
The club lost their first match after returning to Ligue 1, suffering a 0-1 defeat at home to Strasbourg. Prior to this, Metz had not lost in 4 consecutive official matches, which included Ligue 2 and playoff matches (2 wins, 2 draws). Additionally, their goal-scoring streak of 13 matches in these tournaments was halted against Strasbourg. It's important to note that Metz was the best away team in the previous Ligue 2 season, avoiding defeat in 13 of 17 matches (8 wins, 5 draws). Moreover, the last two head-to-head matches at Lyon's ground in Ligue 1 ended in 1-1 draws.
- The team has won with a handicap (+1.5) in their last 29 matches in Ligue 1, Ligue 2, and playoff matches.
- Both teams scored in Metz's last 7 away matches in Ligue 2 and playoff matches.
- Away from home, the club avoided defeat in 12 of 13 games in the second-tier French championship and playoff matches for the right to play in Ligue 1 (6 wins, 6 draws).
Predicted lineup for Metz (5-3-2)
Jonathan Fisher – Boubacar Traore, Yuri-Michel Mbula, Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Sadibou Sane, Koffi Kouao – Giorgi Tsitaishvili, Jesse Demenge, Benjamin Stambouli – Cheikh Sabaly, Bryan Mbeumo.
Forwards Malik Mbaye and Joseph Mangondo are injured.
Referee
Eric Wattellier (France)
Matches – 17 (Ligue 1, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 75;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.3;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 18%.
Lyon vs. Metz: Match Prediction
Paulo Fonseca's team showed they are ready to compete for European spots again, taking 3 points from Lens in the first round, where victories are hard to come by. Certainly, the news of Lyon's reinstatement as participants in Ligue 1 and the Europa League provided additional positive emotions for the players at the start of the season. Yes, Lyon lost several key players in the offseason, but the team had enough depth to not significantly lose quality despite the departures of Alexandre Lacazette and Rayan Cherki.
The visitors have entirely different goals for the season, with Metz's main task being to retain their place in France's top flight. The team shares the 14th place with Auxerre in terms of budget this Ligue 1 season. It is unlikely that Metz, who lost at home to Strasbourg in the first round, will be able to take points from a Lyon side that performs excellently at home. Lyon has won 6 of their last 7 home matches in the championship, scoring at least twice in each victory. Meanwhile, the visitors have lost 7 of their last 10 away matches in Ligue 1, conceding at least twice in 6 of those games.
Therefore, my prediction is "P1 + IT1 Over 1.5".
