Manuel Chávez
Dailysports's expert
On May 21, Metz and Reims will face off in the first leg of the promotion playoff final. Here’s my prediction for this high-stakes clash.
Metz
Metz spent the entire season battling for promotion, but ultimately finished third in Ligue 2, missing out on automatic qualification. Their playoff journey began in the semi-finals with a home match against Dunkerque. The visitors were reduced to ten men in the 59th minute, and the game was decided by an own goal deep into stoppage time—90+3 minutes—securing a 1-0 victory for Metz.
Now, just one step remains between Metz and the top flight, but they must overcome a formidable opponent. Metz have been outstanding at home, suffering just one defeat throughout the Ligue 2 season.
Reims
Reims certainly didn’t expect to be fighting for survival in the promotion/relegation playoffs. Heading into the final round of Ligue 1, they sat in 15th—the last safe spot—two points ahead of Le Havre, and a draw would have been enough to secure their place.
In their final match, Reims narrowly lost 2-1 away to a strong Lille side, conceding the decisive goal in the 86th minute. They were hoping that Le Havre would fail to win on the road against a motivated Strasbourg, but their rivals snatched a dramatic victory in the 90+9th minute—3-2. As a result, Reims dropped to 16th place. Adding to the challenge, the club will play the French Cup final against PSG between the two legs against Metz, which is far from ideal.
Probable lineups
- Metz: Sy, Kouao, Sané, Mboula, Udol, Deminguet, Touré, Diallo, N’Guessan, Bokélé Mputu, Sabaly.
- Reims: Diouf, Akoume, Kehrer, Okumu, Hiroki, Butez, Ito, Gbane, Koné, Atangana Edoa, Siebatcheu.
H2H
The sides last met in Ligue 1 last season—Reims drew 2-2 away and clinched a 2-1 win at home.
Prediction
This promises to be a tense and hard-fought encounter, especially with the return leg still to play. Metz are slight favorites at the moment, though bookmakers initially gave a marginal edge to the visitors. I expect a tight and nervy affair, with both teams likely to play cautiously. My recommendation is to back under 2.5 goals.
