Match Preview: Metz 1-3 Rennes Prediction and Betting Tips | Ligue 1

Metz – Rennes Prediction and Tips for today, March 20, 2021

Football: FRANCE: Ligue 1 – Round 30
Kick-off: 13:00 Metz – Rennes
Tip: Over 1.5 Goals
Odds: 1.49
Bookmaker: Bet365
Match Result: 1:3 WON!!!

Match Preview and Predictions

  • Currently enjoying their highest placing in Ligue 1 (L1) after 29 rounds since 1997/98, seventh-placed Metz remain in contention for a European place. A draw last week marked their 14th point gained this term after conceding first, as well as boosting their W/D rate to a commendable 65% when outsiders this L1 season. Yet with only eight of their league games this campaign seeing a margin greater than a goal, don’t expect either side here to score an easy win.
  • Reinforcing that notion, six of the last eight H2Hs at Metz ended in draws with all eight producing under 2.5 goals. Their failure to beat Stade Rennes across those eight games also casts doubt on their ability to snap their current three-game winless streak here this campaign, although the two prior occasions they lost back-to-back home league games, they went on to win the third.
  • Sitting one point below their hosts, Rennes finally snapped their longest winless league run (D2, L6) since 2007 with victory last round, their third straight 1-0 match result. It also continued a run of closely fought L1 games this season, as only six produced a winning margin of more than a goal.
  • A fourth straight away league loss here would mark Rennes‘ worst L1 losing streak on the road since Nov/Dec 2013. Scoring a first-half goal could be key to avoiding that, as their last six victorious L1 trips have been accompanied by Rennes striking before HT, whilst they last lost an away league game after netting a first-half goal back in October 2019.
  • Players to watch: Vagner (MTZ) has never been on the losing side when scoring a league goal in club competition. Similarly, all but one of Benjamin Bourigeaud’s last 22 goalscoring L1 games saw Rennes avoid defeat (W16), the exception being against Metz.
  • Hot stat: Nine of the last 12 H2Hs saw a 1-0 HT score.
Head-to-head matches: METZ – RENNES
23.12.20 L1 Rennes Metz 1 : 0
04.12.19 L1 Metz Rennes 0 : 1
14.04.18 L1 Rennes Metz 1 : 2
09.12.17 L1 Metz Rennes 1 : 1
04.03.17 L1 Metz Rennes 1 : 1