Preview: Nimes vs. Metz - prediction, team news, lineups

Metz will be aiming to extend their unbeaten run to six games when they travel to Nimes on Sunday afternoon.

Les Grenats beat Saint-Etienne 2-0 last weekend to move into the top half of Ligue 1 for the first time this season.

Match preview

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Metz started the campaign with three successive defeats but have now not lost since mid-September.

Farid Boulaya opened the scoring against Saint-Etienne after just five minutes and an Alpha Sissoko own goal in the second half confirmed the victory.

It was Frederic Antonetti 's second game back in charge after he returned to the dugout having stepped down in July following the death of his wife.

He will now be hoping to lead Metz to their first away win of 2020-21, with the team failing to win on the road in their last four attempts.

What they do have on their side though is a defence that has conceded the fourth-fewest goals in Ligue 1 - a novel statistic considering that the win over Saint-Etienne was their first clean sheet of the season.

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Meanwhile, Nimes come into the game having lost their last two fixtures, a 2-0 defeat to Bordeaux last weekend following a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.

It has left Jerome Arpinon 's side just two points above the bottom three, highlighting that another season of struggle is ahead at Stade des Costieres.

Nimes were 18th in the table when coronavirus brought football to a halt back in March but were saved from competing in the relegation playoffs when it was decided to curtail the campaign.

These two teams actually met in the final game before Ligue 1 stopped last season, with Metz emerging 2-1 winners.

Arpinon was then appointed Nimes manager in July having been assistant to Bernard Blaquart, who took the club from the third tier to Ligue 1 in the space of three years.

Nimes Ligue 1 form: LDDWLL

Metz Ligue 1 form: LWDWDW

Team News

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Nimes will still be without centre-back Loick Landre as he serves the second of a two-game ban received for his red card against PSG.

Left-back Florian Miguel is likely to drop out of the side after filling in in the middle of defence, with Pablo Martinez in line to replace him.

No one has nailed down a starting spot upfront as the team have scored just twice in their last five games, with Arpinon rotating between teenager Kevin Denkey and veteran Nolan Roux.

Given Metz's good form, Antonetti could name an unchanged lineup from the win over St Etienne.

That means that summer signing Vagner will start on the bench again after recovering from injury, while former Manchester City youngster Thierry Ambrose should also make the matchday squad after missing the last two games with an ankle problem.

Nimes possible starting lineup:

Reynet; Burner, Briancon, Martinez, Meling; Deaux, Cubas, Fomba; Ripart, Denkey, Eliasson

Metz possible starting lineup:

Oukidja; Centonze, Bronn, Boye, Udol; Angban, Maiga, Pajot; Gueye, Nguette, Boulaya

We say: Nimes 0-1 Metz

Given that Nimes' attack is rather blunt and Metz top scorer Ibrahima Niane is out for the season after rupturing his ACL, it is hard to see many goals in this game. Nonetheless, Metz are growing in confidence and might just sneak a victory.

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