Metz vs Saint-Etienne Prediction 02.06.2024

• Competition: France - Ligue 1/ Ligue 2 Playoffs
• Date: Sunday, 2nd, June 2024
• Kickoff: 16:00 UTC +1 / 17:00 CEST
• Venue: Stade Saint-Symphorien (Metz)

In an effort to protect their slender one-goal lead, the faltering giant St. Etienne heads to Stade Saint-Symphorien to face Metz in the second leg of the promotion/relegation playoff final on Sunday.

Metz vs Saint-Etienne Betting Tips: BTTS

In their quest for a return to Ligue 1, the 10-time French champions Saint-Etienne find themselves halfway there after taking full advantage of their home ground to secure a narrow 2-1 lead over Metz in the first leg of the promotion/relegation playoff final, with Mathieu Cafaro providing crucial brace assists.

From Metz's perspective, they aren't too concerned about heading into the return leg with a one-goal deficit, as they'll rely on their recent dominant record against Sunday's opponent, having outplayed Sainte in four of the last five H2H meetings at Saint-Symphorien, three of which resulted in victories with at least a two-goal margin.

While the Ligue 1 side should be able to retaliate with equal force at the very least, another dynamic and action-packed contest is a highly probable outcome here, as Les Grenats' attacking stance and pursuit of an early goal could leave them vulnerable at the opposite end of the pitch.

However, there's no denying that the Lorraine club has been in disarray in recent weeks, as they've ended each of their previous five battles of any format on the losing side, with fingers pointing at the defense as the main culprit for this dismal streak of form, after shipping two or more goals in each of those failures.

Despite missing out on automatic promotion spots due to a dismal finish to the Ligue 2 season, Saint-Etienne have fortunately come within touching distance of returning to French football's elite, but they'll first need to protect their hard-earned first-leg lead, which won't be an easy task, especially considering that three of their last four away trips have seen them concede 2+ goals.

With the in-form Georgian talisman Georges Mikautadze leading the attack, Metz have had no trouble finding the back of the net - doing so in all but their 0-2 loss to champions PSG in their last 13 competitive matches - but the need for a full-throttle offensive approach carries risks, as it will only make it easier for Les Verts to score against a shaky defense that has struggled to keep clean sheets this term. Plus, the latest clashes between these sides have been goal-rich, with each of the last three containing at least three goals and both nets being breached, which backs up our BTTS choice.