H2H: Lille vs. Metz – Prediction (Ligue 1

Preview and Teams Comparison.

Lille have lost only two of their last 18 games against Metz in Ligue 1 (W11 D5), with both defeats coming during the 2016/17 season (2-3 at Metz in August 2016 and 0-2 at Lille in May 2017).

Currently on an outstanding run of ten straight unbeaten Ligue 1 (L1) home games (W9, D1), Lille have scored an average of 3.0 goals per match across that period. Significantly, ‘Le LOSC’ have failed to score in just three of their last 28 top-flight home outings. Lille’s top league scorer Victor Osimhen has netted seven goals so far this L1 campaign – all of which have come at home. Handy at the back, Lille have recorded a cleansheet in three of their previous five league fixtures at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Moreover, fans can expect a tight defensive showing in the opening half-hour, with Lille being one of three L1 sides yet to concede a home goal in the first 30 minutes this campaign.

Lille have scored in both halves in 100% of their home league games this campaign – a league high. Five of the last six L1 H2Hs held here saw the half-time result mirror its full-time counterpart. Metz are yet to score a goal after the 60th minute on the road this L1 season.

Visitors Metz travel here after winning just one of their opening six L1 away matches (W1, D1, L4), with each of the four losses coming ‘to-nil’. Unsurprisingly then, they possess the division’s second-worst away record in attack, with just 0.33 goals scored on average per away fixture. Habib Diallo (eight L1 goals) has netted Metz’s opening goal in each of the seven league games he’s scored in! The visitors often start slow, as evidenced by the fact that 90% of their ten L1 away goals conceded this season have arrived in the first half. As a result, they have been behind at the break in five of their six L1 road trips this term, for a half-time record of: W1, L5.