Niort v Metz preview: Visitors can prove cut above

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Competition: France Ligue 2
Competition: Sat 06.May
Match begins: 17:00 (UTC)
Venue: Stade René Gaillard (10406 seats)

Match preview: 32 points split the squads so far this season, Metz the superior team. Can Niort shorten the gap?

Insights:
  • Niort have the fewest scored goals (28) in Ligue 2
  • Metz have the most scored goals (28) away in Ligue 2

We should expect both teams to be fresh and ready for this match, as there is some time since both teams last played. Let's have a look at how the teams are doing!

L L D L L

Niort form and stats

Niort have collected 17 points from their Ligue 2 home games so far after 5-2-9. The Niort manager Simondi might feel some added pressure to get something from this game after two straight home defeats.

No payout for Niort in their previous match, an away game at Grenoble Foot 38 that ended in defeat 0-2. Louchet had a busy but productive day in the Grenoble Foot 38 match. Despite making six saves the loss could not be prevented.

Preceding that match was a defeat to Caen (1-2).

Niort has scored 18 league goals at home this season, in 16 matches. With more than 1,5 conceded goals on average, the Niort defense is not exactly impregnable. 28 goals conceded from 16 games. You can find more goal stats on the Statistics tab above. When Niort hosts teams that live on the top of the table (like Valenciennes, Annecy, Pau, Nimes, Laval and Dijon), the matches have ended over 2.5 goals 4 of 5 times.

D W W D W

Metz form and stats

The visitors, who have the most scored goals (28) away in Ligue 2, are W8-D4-L4 on the road this term. That's in the Ligue 2. In general it has been a productive period now for Metz as they haven't lost any of their last 20 games.

Metz played 1-1 against Paris in their previous match. Mikautadze has scored at least one goal for this team three games in a row. The efficiency! Midfielder N'Doram was the best performer of that match, with a rating of 7.63. N'Doram hit one key pass, dribled past the opponent 2 of 2 times and had 56 successful passes (of 60 total).

Ahead of that match was the victory versus Saint-Etienne at their stadium, the result 3-1.

Metz are not goal shy away from home in the league, finding the net 28 times in 16 away games so far.

Head 2 Head

Metz have avoided defeat in the last 5 matches (3-2-0) versus Niort.

Metz - Niort 0-0 was the output when this pair of squads formerly did battle, also in this season.

Top Goalscorers

MetzG. Mikautadze
G. Mikautadze
20 goals
NiortB. Boutobba
B. Boutobba
10 goals
MetzY. Maziz
Y. Maziz
5 goals

Niort missing players

Metz missing players

Total First Half Second Half
Niort Metz
Total Home vs top Statistics Stat vs low Away Total
33 16 5 Played P 6 16 33
7 5 1 Won W 2 8 16
6 2 0 Drew D 4 4 11
20 9 4 Lost L 0 4 6
28 18 5 Scored S 12 28 52
55 28 11 Conceded C 6 16 29
91% 94% 100% Over 0.5 O 0.5 83% 94% 85%
67% 75% 80% Over 1.5 O 1.5 83% 75% 70%
55% 69% 80% Over 2.5 O 2.5 50% 44% 36%
21% 31% 40% Over 3.5 O 3.5 33% 31% 21%
15% 19% 20% Over 4.5 O 4.5 33% 25% 18%
45% 62% 60% BTTS BTTS 67% 50% 42%
12% 6% 0% Clean Sheets C S 33% 25% 45%
52% 38% 40% Failed to Score F T 17% 31% 27%
 
3.9 4.1 5 Corners for (avg) C F 4 4 4.8
4.6 4.7 5 Corners against (avg) C A 3.7 3.5 4
1.7 2 1.4 Yellow cards (avg) Y C 2.3 2.1 1.7
4 3 0 Red cards R C 2 3 7
 
9.2 10.4 12.4 Shots (avg) S ( 11.2 10.4 11.4
3.3 3.8 3.2 Shots on Target (avg) S O 3.8 4.1 4.2
25% 30% 31% Goal Efficiency G E 52% 43% 38%
 
11.9 11.4 11.6 Shots against (avg) S A 8.5 9.6 9.3
4.7 4.3 4.2 Shots on Target against (avg) S O 3.2 3.4 3.1
Key stats in Ligue 2 this season:
  • Metz have played more matches over 2,5 goals away than home.
  • Metz have the most scored goals (28) away in Ligue 2
  • Metz have won significantly less corners away then at home.
  • Niort have played more matches over 2,5 goals home than away.
  • Niort have the fewest clean sheets (1) at home in Ligue 2
  • Niort have the fewest clean sheets (4) in Ligue 2
  • Niort have the fewest points (17) at home in Ligue 2
  • Niort have the fewest scored goals (28) in Ligue 2
  • Niort have the most conceded goals (28) at home in Ligue 2
  • Niort have the most conceded goals (55) in Ligue 2
  • Niort have the most conceded goals in the first half (29) in Ligue 2
  • Niort have the the worst goal difference (-10) at home in Ligue 2
  • Niort have the the worst goal difference (-27) in Ligue 2

  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Le Havre 33 18 14 1 43 15 16 9 7 0 21 7 17 9 7 1 22 8 28 68
2 Bordeaux 33 18 8 7 47 26 16 10 4 2 24 9 17 8 4 5 23 17 21 62
3 Metz 33 16 11 6 52 29 17 8 7 2 24 13 16 8 4 4 28 16 23 59
4 Bastia 33 15 8 10 40 36 17 10 3 4 23 13 16 5 5 6 17 23 4 53
5 Sochaux 32 15 7 10 52 31 16 9 4 3 31 14 16 6 3 7 21 17 21 52
6 Caen 33 14 10 9 43 36 17 10 5 2 27 13 16 4 5 7 16 23 7 52
7 Grenoble Foot 38 33 14 8 11 32 30 17 9 4 4 18 13 16 5 4 7 14 17 2 50
8 Guingamp 33 12 9 12 43 42 17 6 3 8 23 23 16 6 6 4 20 19 1 45
9 Quevilly Rouen 33 11 12 10 37 36 17 6 8 3 27 21 16 5 4 7 10 15 1 45
10 Paris 33 12 8 13 40 41 16 5 3 8 20 21 17 7 5 5 20 20 -1 44
11 Saint-Etienne 33 12 10 11 51 49 16 7 4 5 25 23 17 5 6 6 26 26 2 43
12 Rodez 33 10 11 12 35 39 17 4 6 7 16 24 16 6 5 5 19 15 -4 41
13 Amiens SC 33 11 8 14 34 43 16 7 3 6 17 17 17 4 5 8 17 26 -9 41
14 Pau 33 10 10 13 30 39 16 5 6 5 14 17 17 5 4 8 16 22 -9 40
15 Valenciennes 33 8 13 12 35 43 17 5 10 2 25 22 16 3 3 10 10 21 -8 37
16 Annecy 33 9 10 14 34 47 16 7 3 6 15 17 17 2 7 8 19 30 -13 37
17 Laval 33 10 4 19 36 50 16 6 2 8 21 22 17 4 2 11 15 28 -14 34
18 Nimes 33 9 5 19 35 50 16 8 1 7 20 17 17 1 4 12 15 33 -15 32
19 Dijon 32 7 10 15 29 39 17 6 6 5 17 16 15 1 4 10 12 23 -10 31
20 Niort 33 7 6 20 28 55 16 5 2 9 18 28 17 2 4 11 10 27 -27 27

Metz:
Table
  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Le Havre 33 18 14 1 43 15 16 9 7 0 21 7 17 9 7 1 22 8 28 68
2 Bordeaux 33 18 8 7 47 26 16 10 4 2 24 9 17 8 4 5 23 17 21 62
3 Metz 33 16 11 6 52 29 17 8 7 2 24 13 16 8 4 4 28 16 23 59
4 Bastia 33 15 8 10 40 36 17 10 3 4 23 13 16 5 5 6 17 23 4 53
5 Sochaux 32 15 7 10 52 31 16 9 4 3 31 14 16 6 3 7 21 17 21 52
6 Caen 33 14 10 9 43 36 17 10 5 2 27 13 16 4 5 7 16 23 7 52
7 Grenoble Foot 38 33 14 8 11 32 30 17 9 4 4 18 13 16 5 4 7 14 17 2 50
8 Guingamp 33 12 9 12 43 42 17 6 3 8 23 23 16 6 6 4 20 19 1 45
9 Quevilly Rouen 33 11 12 10 37 36 17 6 8 3 27 21 16 5 4 7 10 15 1 45
10 Paris 33 12 8 13 40 41 16 5 3 8 20 21 17 7 5 5 20 20 -1 44
11 Saint-Etienne 33 12 10 11 51 49 16 7 4 5 25 23 17 5 6 6 26 26 2 43
12 Rodez 33 10 11 12 35 39 17 4 6 7 16 24 16 6 5 5 19 15 -4 41
13 Amiens SC 33 11 8 14 34 43 16 7 3 6 17 17 17 4 5 8 17 26 -9 41
14 Pau 33 10 10 13 30 39 16 5 6 5 14 17 17 5 4 8 16 22 -9 40
15 Valenciennes 33 8 13 12 35 43 17 5 10 2 25 22 16 3 3 10 10 21 -8 37
16 Annecy 33 9 10 14 34 47 16 7 3 6 15 17 17 2 7 8 19 30 -13 37
17 Laval 33 10 4 19 36 50 16 6 2 8 21 22 17 4 2 11 15 28 -14 34
18 Nimes 33 9 5 19 35 50 16 8 1 7 20 17 17 1 4 12 15 33 -15 32
19 Dijon 32 7 10 15 29 39 17 6 6 5 17 16 15 1 4 10 12 23 -10 31
20 Niort 33 7 6 20 28 55 16 5 2 9 18 28 17 2 4 11 10 27 -27 27

More from France - Ligue 2

Read more about Ligue 2

Ligue 2 is the second highest division in French football. Most games are played at Fridays and Mondays, allowing the top league Ligue 1 “ownership” of the weekend days. 20 teams play 380 fixtures in total, creating a league table where the top three teams promote and the bottom three relegate.