06 November 2021, 12:01 | 28 August 2021, 15:29
The French Ligue 1 fixture between Olympique Marseille and F.C. Metz kicks off at 13:00 (GMT+1) on Sunday, November 7, at the 67,394-capacity Stade Vélodrome.
Preview Olympique Marseille Ligue 1, Nov 7, 2021
Preview Marseille picked up a point in a hard-fought 2-2 draw against the Italian side, Lazio, on UEFA Europa League Matchday 4. - Courtesy of a late goal by Dimitri Payet (82’). Back on the home front, Marseille picked up a 1-0 win over Clermont Foot at the Stade Gabriel Montpied. - A victory which signaled a return to winning ways: LWDDW. A single goal from Cengiz Ünder (25’) inside the opening thirty saw Jorge Sampaoli’s side collect three points. Following the win, the club moved one spot higher from 4th to 3rd place, having 22 points after 6W, 4D, & 2L. Marseille have a goal ratio of 1.67 goals per game, so far this season, having scored 20 goals in 12 Ligue 1 games. At their end, they have conceded 12 goals (an average of 1 G.C.P.G), and thus have a goal difference of +8. A 4—1—4—1 formation may be seen from Jorge Sampaoli against Metz on Sunday, as he aims to collect three more points and force his way into the top three. Arkadiusz Milik (33’ P.), who bagged a goal in the game against Lazio on Thursday, is expected to be at the top of the shape. Payet remains the club’s top scorer on the domestic front with a haul of 6 goals. He will have his eye on goal on Sunday when OM takes on FC Metz.
Preview Metz Ligue 1, Nov 7, 2021
Preview Bottom-placed Metz sits in 19th place on the Ligue 1 table, having picked up 7 points from 1W, 4D, & 7L. Last weekend, Metz picked up a 1-1 draw against the ten-time Ligue 1 champions, AS Saint-Étienne, on home soil. The club has a form that reads: WLLLD ahead of this Matchday 13 fixture against Marseille. Les Grenats are in desperate need of three points to exit the bottom three, assuming of course, that Brest fails to pick up a point against Lorient later in the day. For Metz, the defensive end appears to be loose. With an average goal ratio of 1.08 per 90, Metz merits a place in the mid-table section. However, an unimpressive 2.25 goals-per-match leaves the club at the bottom end, with 27 goals conceded and a G.D. of -14, having scored 13 times this season. Frédéric Antonetti could be looking at the 3—4—1—2 formation once again with Nicolas de Préville and Ibrahima Niane in attack. The former has netted twice this season, while the latter has hit the back of the net only once.