Metz take on the visitors Marseille in the round 2 match of French Ligue 1. The match will be played on Friday, August 18th at Stade Saint-Symphorien (Metz).
Metz are back in the top division of France. The Dark Maroons of the 80s and 90s managed to win both the French Cup and the League Cup twice each, and their golden period concluded with a single runner-up finish in 1998. However, in this century, their focus has been on trying to establish themselves in the top division of the country. Once again, they managed to return to Ligue 1 after the last season - László Bölöni led his new charges to a 2nd place finish, which was enough for direct promotion. Timely 11 million came in from Wolverhampton for the contract buyout of Boubakar Traoré - at least Tetteh, Kolena, and Ngessan were signed. Starting at the new-old level with a defeat against Rennes away, they practically faltered - losing 1-5.
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Marseille starts the season again with a debutant coach. In 2022, Olympique managed to secure the 3rd place in Ligue 1. It was thanks to Sampaoli, but in the summer, Jorge managed to quarrel with the management and left. He was replaced by Tudor, who essentially replicated the result, securing the bronze position again. But the Croat didn't stick around either, and he was replaced by Marcelino García Toral. The Provence squad underwent serious changes, and after bidding farewell to Malinovskyi, Kolašinac, and de la Fuente, they strengthened their roster with Aubameyang, Ndiaye, Ismaïla Sarr, Renan Lodi, and Kondogbia. The Spanish coach made his debut in an away match against Panathinaikos in the Champions League, suffering a defeat in Athens (after Kondogbia's red card, they conceded the only goal). Even against Reims, it wasn't easy; they barely won 2-1.
In the last 14 matches, Metz managed to secure only 1 victory. Yes, there were 4 consecutive draws, but the most recent match in 2022 resulted in a 2-1 away victory for Marseille. The guests have a challenging schedule, but they are of a higher caliber. It should be within their capabilities to defeat the newcomer, even on the road.
Prediction for the match: Marseille to win.
