Our prediction for this Ligue 1 match:
Metz
Match Time & Date:
18/08/2023
21:00
Prediction: 1-2
Marseille
After suffering a heart-breaking elimination to Panathinaikos in the Champions League qualifiers, Olympique Marseille will look to give fans something to cheer about when they face Metz in the Ligue 1 round 2. A man to watch in the away team will be summer signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who scored a brace against PAO, while midfielder Pape Gueye is sidelined through suspension.
Les Grenats, on the other hand, experienced all sorts of problems at the back in a 5-1 loss to Rennes in their season opener, which is probably the main reason why we are going to bet on Marseille. Talented forward Malick Mbaye is pushing for a start, while there are no fresh injury worries in the home team ahead of Friday’s encounter. In their last meeting at Stade Saint-Symphorien Olympique Marseille defeated Metz 2-1 and we predict that history is going to repeat itself.
Highlighted Player (Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang):
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the most famous Gabonese player and he is the first footballer from Gabon to appear in Bundesliga. Aubameyang played for the likes of Dijon, Lille, Monaco and St. Etienne in the past before joining Borussia Dortmund on July, 2013. The pacey attacker signed a five-year contract with the Millionaires and he has been producing outstanding performances with the Signal-Iduna-Park outfit ever since.
Aubameyang impressed in the 2015–16 Bundesliga, scoring 25 goals in 31 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, but that did not help Thomas Tuchel’s men win the domestic trophy. Speaking of his international career, the 187-cm-tall striker made his Gabon debut on 25 March, 2009 and he scored his first goal for the national team in a 3-2 win over Morocco.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang helped Gabon make it to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals. It has to be noted, though, that he played for France U-21 team in the past. Aubameyang was born in Laval, France on 18 June, 1989.
Highlighted Team (Metz):
Thanks to amalgamation of two amateur clubs Metz were founded in 1932 and soon they became a professional team. Les Grenats are one of the oldest professional teams in France, but they have yet to win the Ligue 1 trophy. Metz finished the 1997/1998 season in second place in the standings and it has to be noted that they were level on points with champions Lens (worse goal difference).
However, les Grenats won Coupe de France on two occasions (1983/1984, 1987/1988), with the team beating Monaco and Sochaux respectively in the title games. Emmanuel Adebayor is considered one of the most famous players who whore Metz jersey and you should know that the Togolese attacker scored 15 goals in 44 appearances in the league for the club.
Metz play their home games at Stade Saint-Symphorien, the venue which was opened back in September, 1923. Les Grenats wear red shirts and white shorts when playing at home, whilst the colour of their away kits is white.
