Tag Archives: Metz

PSG in the relegation zone as they search for first win of the season against Metz

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Look at the Ligue 1 table, you may have to take a double look or even a triple look before you believe your eyes and see that PSG are in 17th place.

The champions have lost their first two games of the season for the first time in 42 years. Defeats against Lens 1-0 on the opening weekend of the season and then a 1-0 loss to Marseille in Paris last weekend means that they come into this game on zero points with zero goals.

Metz who are expected to struggle this season are on the same page as PSG, how rare is that? The club have also lost their opening two games, but that was expected, PSG’s wasn’t.

Of course the champions begun the season depleted with up to 7 players affected with the Coronavirus after the club allowed the team to go on holiday to Ibiza a week after they lost the Champions League final to Bayern Munich. There was still some quality in the PSG team that faced Lens though, but they were still defeated.

Against Marseille, some came back including Neymar and PSG played some good football but it was their rivals that scored the only goal of the game and then the melee at the end saw 5 players sent off, including Neymar which rules him out of this game.

PSG will be the huge odds on favourites to get it right against Metz though and the game is in Paris, this should be the match to break the duck for the club, if it isn’t there will be serious questions launched at them even if they have had some problems in preparing for the new league season.

Thomas Tuchel the PSG coach will be under pressure when the game takes place tonight and he had this to say, “Everyone thinks there is a results crisis, and in fact that’s the case. We have lost three in a row [counting the Champions League final, against Bayern Munich] and we’re not used to that. But we’ve had some good matches and I was surprised to see how we played against OM. We controlled the match. There were one or two classes of difference between the two teams. Complete domination, but you can lose a match like that.”

As for Metz they will try and go for the win playing the counter attack and will hope to score a goal at least and give PSG a game. Players such as Marquinhos and Mauro Icardi will be back for the champions, but Kylian Mbappe is still missing.

 

Ligue 1 Player of the Week: Opa Nguette

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Opa Nguette amassed 10 points this week and that is the most of any Ligue 1 player as the Metz striker helped his relegation threatened side to a fantastic 3-1 victory over Saint Etienne.

Nguette was on hand to score the opening goal. Then he assisted Habib Diallo, another player who is in great form for the second. Nguette then scored the 3rd goal which ended the tie and gave his club a much needed victory. It was a good one too even if, in the build up, it took some luck a ricochet in this instance. The cross met Nguette who slotted home well and he had to readjust himself quickly to do so as the pace off the ball wasn’t what he was expecting.

The win puts Metz in 16th place and they have climbed 7 points above the relegation zone, they should be fine this season. The club are in great form too having gone their last 5 games unbeaten including winning 3 games in a row, and are in their best form of the season, just at the right time.

Metz bought Nguette from Valenciennes in 2016 and the player who is now 25 has sometimes been used more as an attacking midfielder but also someone that can move up to the striker position if needed.

He is a very popular player with the team although his one drawback is not scoring enough goals from his position. Last season though he scored his most for a league term with 7 goals from 33 league appearances.

This season Nguette has amassed a total of 19 points from 19 starts. The player has scored 4 goals and assisted in a further 2 and it is clear that he has been under performing and this week has been his best this season in a Metz shirt. His current value is just 4.5m and he could be worth adding to your fantasy team, as this could be the beginning of something special for him as Metz will try and kick on and finish in the top half of the table which is very possible.

Whilst Nguette has found form and earned 10 points, that’s 55% of his total amount of points earned in just one game he could be a doubt for Metz’s next game. He has a niggling injury, and could be 50/50 to play in it, this is unfortunate as those goals would have installed a lot of confidence in a player that really needed them.

The objective is good though and the plan is working out and between him and Diallo Metz will have no problems in staying up this season.

Prove you have what it takes to challenge the best French Fantasy Football managers here www.fantasyligue1.com 

 

 

Ligue 1 Weekend player picks for Matchday 20

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It is time to study the form for all you Ligue 1 fantasy league players out there. The following in a formation of 4-4-2 will take a look at which players in Ligue 1 could perform and earn you extra points if you bring them into your team. This is all based on current form and the teams fixtures giving your players perhaps an extra edge to get those points in.

Goalkeeper: Edouard Mendy- Rennes

Edouard Mendy has been great between the sticks for Rennes of late. So great the goalkeeper has let in just 2 goals in the last five games. He has accumalated 28 points so far and would cost 8m, which looks a steal given the form he is in. Rennes are playing Marseille but they are in great form and they need to win the game to close the gap on them.

Defender: Yunis Abdelhamid- Reims

Yunis Abdelhamid is in terrific form and he is a big reason that Reims have had such an excellent defence this season. He was the hero for the club in the Coupe de la Ligue in midweek scoring the deciding penalty shoot out. He is currently ranked as the 2nd best defender in the league with 52 points and is only 6m. Reims are away to Nimes.

Defender: Axel Disasi- Reims

Keeping with Reims we have picked Axel Disasi who has formed a great partnership with Abdelhamid in defence. Reims have conceded just 6 goals in their past 10 games and these players will be picking up points for you with so many clean sheets. He is only 5m to bring in.

Defender: Kenny Tete- Lyon

Kenny Tete might be carrying a minor knock but is being tipped to play at the weekend. The youngster has only earned 19 points this season however that is good enough to make him Lyon’s best defender points wise and he would cost 6.5m. Overall Lyon has shored up at the back only conceding 4 goals in their last five games.

Defender: John Boye- Metz

John Boye doesn’t have many points at all with just 6, but that is the nature of being a defender for 17th placed Metz who are going to concede many goals. However the club need to push on and they will be playing Strasbourg at the weekend. Metz have a very good record at home to them and also Strasbourg had to play in midweek in the cup whilst Metz could rest, could a clean sheet be on the cards? Boye is valued at 3.5m.

Midfielder: Florent Mollet- Montpellier

Florent Mollet has had an excellent season so far and already has 30 points. He scored in Montpellier’s last game and has 5 goals this season and two assists. He gets himself involved and could be a good buy for 7m. Montpellier are away to lowly Amiens.

Midfielder: Angel Di Maria- PSG

It might be too obvious to pick out a PSG player but bear with us. Di Maria is on great form and has 57 points. He is 9m which seems like a fair price for a PSG player and PSG are at home to Monaco this weekend. Usually PSG score for fun and create many chances against them, so if you don’t have him in your team you might want to consider it.

Midfielder: Morgan Sanson- Marseille

Morgan Sanson has been a big player for Marseille this season and they are in 2nd place in the league and on fine form. He is just 7m to bring in and has acquired 22 points already. The club has a hard game but probably an open one away to Rennes.

Midfielder: Pierrick Capelle- Angers

Angers are back in decent form and looked strong in the derby when they beat Nantes last time out. Capelle is 6m and has struggled at times but has 16 points and Angers could pick up something at home to Nice at the weekend.

Striker: Habib Diallo-Metz

We will go with Habib Diallo as one of our strikers, because Metz usually do very well at home to Strasbourg, plus the away side will be tired from having to play in midweek. Diallo has 10 goals and one assist already and could well add to that tally at the weekend. Diallo is valued at 7m and also has a very impressive 38 points.

Striker: Ludovic Ajorque- Strasbourg

It’s true that we have tipped Metz to give Strasbourg a hard time but that doesn’t mean that Strasbourg can’t score and their striker Ludovic Ajorque is quite a handful. He has scored 7 goals and assisted in 3 more so far this season and he has 31 points and is a massive bargain at just 4m.

Prove you have what it takes to challenge the best French Fantasy Football managers here www.fantasyligue1.com 

 

 

 

 

 

Ligue 1 Player of the Week – Martin Braithwaite (Bordeaux)

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With the penultimate weekend of the 2017-18 French Ligue 1 season now done and dusted, all that remains is one match in which to make or break your season. For Marseille, for example, their home clash against Amiens could spell the difference between a place in the early stages of next season’s Champions League, or the Europa League. Lyon and even Monaco face very similar challenges. At the other end of the table, with Metz and Troyes already relegated Toulouse will want to halt their recent slump in the visit of Guingamp if they are to avoid joining those two in Ligue 2 next term. Metz, in fact, play host to Bordeaux on the final day of the season – and it is these visitors that this week’s Ligue 1 Player of the Week represents.

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Ligue 1 Player of the Week – Luiz Araujo (Lille)

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Time now to take a look at which Ligue 1 star topped all the others this week, and without beating about the bush this week’s best is Lille striker Luiz Araujo. The 21-year-old has had a slightly indifferent start to life in France after arriving last summer, signing from Sao Paulo. This past weekend, however, as Lille welcomed Metz to Stade Pierre-Mauroy Araujo showed exactly why he was so coveted.Scoring one goal and setting up another, Araujo was instrumental as Lille recorded a vital 3-1 home win against their fellow strugglers.

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