It is a relegation battle in Ligue 1 on Sunday when Saint-Etienne face Metz, with both teams currently finding themselves in the bottom three, but it is only goal difference that keeps them in those slots.
The visitors are without a victory in their previous five encounters, while Pascal Dupraz shall be hoping that his team bounces back from a loss against Paris Saint-Germain.
Match preview
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Saint Etienne are currently 19th in the table, but their recent form has improved, with the club going three games in a row without a loss, earning seven points from nine.
However, that run came to an end last weekend when they played Paris Saint-Germain, despite the fact Denis Bouanga was able to give them the lead, PSG battled their way back with a brace from Kylian Mbappe and a goal by Danilo Pereira.
The defeat kept the club 19th in the table, but the bottom four teams all find themselves on 22 points, showcasing how tight things are, with just one victory having the potential to make a major impact.
Saint Etienne have only managed to win two matches at home all season, which is something that the squad will need to change if they want to survive this season.
When they last met Metz the two teams ended up sharing the points in a 1-1 draw, with Wahbi Khazri helping his team get back into the game after an early goal from Farid Boulaya.
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Even though Metz find themselves in the relegation play-off role right now, the squad could end up climbing up to 16th in the table depending on other results.
Frederic Antonetti's team have only won four games this season, but three of those have been on the road, showcasing their confidence and ability away from home.
That confidence could make them a threat in this fixture, but after five matches without a victory, the pressure is on them to start changing their results.
However, defensively, Metz have been impressive as of late, keeping four clean sheets across their previous six outings, and if they can continue that, they will be able to keep progressing.
The club have had two goalless draws in their most recent matches, as they held out against Nantes last weekend, even with 10 men after Vincent Pajot was sent off.
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Team News
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Kharzi was still unavailable last weekend due to injury, and he is once again a doubt heading into this crucial six-pointer on Sunday.
Joris Gnagnon, Saidou Sow, Enzo Crivelli and Yvann Macon are also out of action at the moment, and that is something that could continue at the weekend, stretching the squad.
Metz will have to make at least one change this weekend due to Pajot being suspended, which could lead to Danley Jacques slotting into the midfield role.
Kevin N'Doram and Matthieu Udol are both also out of action right now, due to a broken foot and a knee injury which is forcing them to sit on the sidelines respectively.
Saint-Etienne possible starting lineup:
Bernardoni; Kolodziejczak, Nade, Mangala, Camara, Sacko; Nordin, Youssouf, Gourna-Douath, Bouanga; Boudebouz
Metz possible starting lineup:
Caillard; Bronn, Kouyate, Jemerson; Delaine, Jacques, Amadou, Sarr, Cande; Mafouta, Boulaya
We say: Saint-Etienne 2-1 Metz
Both teams are fighting for their survival this season, and every point is going to matter during the final stretch should they want to avoid relegation.
However, in recent times the hosts have been the stronger outfit, and they will be hoping to get back on track this weekend.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Saint-Etienne win with a probability of 41.94%. A win for Metz had a probability of 31.14% and a draw had a probability of 26.9%.
The most likely scoreline for a Saint-Etienne win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.33%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.64%) and 2-0 (7.67%). The likeliest Metz win was 0-1 (9.44%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.76%). The actual scoreline of 1-0 was predicted with an 11.3% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 1-0 win for Saint-Etienne in this match and our team at Sports Mole correctly predicted the win for Saint-Etienne.
